Tithing Money or Food?

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Category Archives: Jewish Tithing Concepts

Author and former military man Frank Chase Jr. grew in Baltimore, MD. He got interested in writing from watching movies and listening to a radio show called mystery theatre, but it was only in his thirties after a divorce that his desire to write escalated. His debut book “False Roads to Manhood: What Women Need to Know: What Men Need to Understand” took him seven years of research and writing. If he weren’t a writer, Frank would be a stage actor as it has been his passion since high school.Being a writer has taught him that everyone will not agree with you or what you may write, but it leaves a record and a legacy that can help future generations long after you have passed on. He is currently writing a scripture-centered book and also plans on writing a fiction novel soon. Read full interview…

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It’s amazing when you discover a new biblical truth. That what happened to me several years ago when I went on a biblical journey to study tithing. What I uncovered literally shocked me into truth. I also discovered how easy it is to be biblically ignorant even when you think you are an well informed person. Needless to say, I suspect that many believers are not as astute in biblical theology and understanding. It’s no fault of their own, but when you allow so-called biblical experts tell you what the Bible says, without you doing personal follow-up, you’ll most likely become well informed in biblical error.

In the case of tithing and what the Bible defines as a tithe, many of us have become victims of phantom tithing passages interpreted in mysterious spiritualistic ways to get money for the church. In this post, I really want you to see that many experts, theologians, scholars, and Bible readers have not fallen for the Sunday morning tithe stickup. Where do people get the idea that God requires money as a tithe? I would have to say ignorance, confusion and a lack of scripture study is the culprit. This post will be a list of quotes from many in the christian community debunking the tithe myths that exist today. Based on the research that I have done in my book, kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway, tithing money or paying a tenth of your income is actually not in the Bible. In fact, phantom tithing verses and propaganda come from pervasive biblical illiteracy, and that can be financially dangerous to the believers in church. Proper biblical exegesis, hermeneutics, context and theology have fallen to wayside, and the idea of what a person thinks the scripture means personally has become the standard. That opens the door to private interpretation of the scripture which the Bible warns against. For example, many people think the phrase, “God helps those who helps themselves” is a verse in the Bible when it actually is not in the Bible. Because of phantom verses, many people believe tithing money is in the Bible, when it actually is not. So what are the experts, theologians, scholars saying about tithing? Let’s take a journey. But Before we do that, I would like to share with you, why i resigned from tithing.

What are People Saying About Tithing?

Studying the full scope of tithing as presented in the Bible, one discovers that tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 14: 17-24, where Abraham is described as “giving” a voluntary offering of a tenth to Melchizedek, King/priest of Salem. Of course, we “pay” an obligation, but we “give” a gift because we choose to. There was no law of tithing in the Word of God demanding that Abraham pay Melchizedek tithing on the spoils of war. (Also, see Chapter III.)

Because Abraham “gave” tithes to Melchizedek before Moses and the ceremonial laws of Moses’ day, some contend that the practice of tithing is perpetual.

In addition, some churches contend that Abraham paid (not “gave” as Scripture reads) a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek because there was an unwritten tithing law that required him to do so. Consider this. This action by Abraham is in no way related to the law of tithing later revealed in the Book of Leviticus. The Levitical law required that tithe be paid only on land and animals. (Lev. 27:30-31.) Spoils of war do not represent an increase from farming. The Mosaic law required that the priests receive 1/500th of the goods from the spoils of war, not 1/10th. The Levites received 1/50th of the spoils of war, not 1/10th. The law concerning spoils of war had nothing to do with tithing. (Numbers 31: 27-29.) Now, if Moses, in Genesis, were recording a universal law of tithing at the time of Abraham, why does he depart from this law some 400 years later? Abraham’s gift was one of free-will, an offering of thanksgiving. Nothing more, nothing less!

It is true, of course, that tithing was a part of the ceremonial codes (Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and 26:12), but the fallacy of assuming that there was a perpetual law of tithing at the time of Abraham, is immediately observed when one studies the practice of circumcision. Circumcision existed before Moses (Genesis 17:10) and was adopted into the ceremonial codes as was tithing (Exodus 12: 44, 48 and Leviticus 12:3); however, as we see in Colossians 2:16,17, Paul states that Christ’s death made void the ceremonial laws (Hebrews 9: 8-11), including the practice of circumcision (Galatians 5:6; 6:15, and 1 Corinthians 7:19). Therefore, even though circumcision and tithing were practiced before Moses and the writing of the ceremonial codes, this practice did not make either of these acts perpetual. (Taken from Beware The Tithe Trap by Dr. Fillmer Hevener)

1st Century Jewish perspective

The 1st Century Jews who were the very first Christians–and who are the Christian example that we have in the bible—had a unique perspective. Perhaps we have lost this perspective in the church of today–having to deal with so many years of tradition from which most of our churches operate.

The people in the Bible understood certain things–I believe much better than we do. They had experience that we do not have–we understand certain things that are stated in the Bible–but we do not live them out in the same way that they did–and one of the reasons this is –is because of the particular perspective the 1st Century Jews operated from.

These people had “grown up” in the traditions of the Jewish faith of that day. They lived out their lives–their tradition in these ways-

They paid a tithe–which consisted of 1/10 of their goods–1/10 of the herd and the crops which they grew. It was the part of most of the people to (those who were not of the tribe of Levi) to render this tithe to the priests–the Levites.

The Levites were the anointed appointed delegated authority within Israel to do ministry. They were the only ones who were lawfully allowed to serve God–to perform the many and various ministries–offerings unto God throughout the year. The Levites had the “office of ministry”. They had authority over the rest of Israel to be the ones who were chosen by the covenant laws delivered to Moses, to be the tribe of Israel which were allowed to be ministers unto the Lord. No one else in Israel could be a minister. No one else had the anointing to do this. The Levities were delegated by the law to be the ministry which received the tithe. They offered the tithe–which is holy unto God–as the sin offering for the people–the rest of Israel–and themselves. Their ministry function was to properly make these offerings unto God–to properly use the tithe–the offering to God for the sin of the people. They also lived on the tithe–they were allowed to eat of the slain animals–and partake of the fruits and grains which were offered through the tithe. (Taken from Vision of the Church)

Leviticus 25:1: And the LORD spake unto Moses in Mt. Sinai saying,

Verse 2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, when ye come into the land which I shall give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath unto the LORD.

Verse 3: Six years shalt thou sow thy field, and six years shalt thou prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

Verse 4: But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Verse 5: That which growth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the Land.

Verse 6: And the Sabbath of the land shall be meat (food) for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for the stranger that sojourneth with thee.

Verse 7: And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

The Israelites observed a seven-year agricultural (and tithing) cycle. Every seventh year the land (and the tithers) got a break. No large-scale reaping was to be done, so no tithes were to be paid. Any Jewish rabbi will tell you no tithes were paid in ancient Israel on the seventh year, and tithes were never collected from the wages of the poor. During the Sabbatical year, people were to take from the land just what they needed for their own personal consumption, and nothing more. How would this set with “conservative” preachers who holler about having a strong work ethic, and making the most (money) out of every waking moment of your life? What if somebody out in the congregation decided that every seventh year he would ditch the factory job, sling on a backpack and go live off the land like the Indians did before the coming of the white man?

Today’s tithers simply don’t get that seventh-year break commanded by Scripture. They’re pressured to slave SEVEN years out of seven to satisfy Organized Religion’s hunger for finances. When one job isn’t enough, people are encouraged to work two. Preachers LITERALLY (and wrongly) apply the Tithing Law, while “spiritualizing away” people’s need for physical rest, to keep the cash rolling in. Parents who must work extra jobs come under criticism because they aren’t always there for the kids and “have poor family values”. Think of it. God actually gave the farmer a whole year off every seventh year from plowing, sowing and reaping, besides their weekly Sabbath Day rest. God even cared about the land, which is nothing but dead, wormy dirt! Funny how preachers don’t worry about other Christians dropping dead from overwork. I kinda suspect God is a lot more merciful than His supposed representatives up in the pulpit. (Taken from the article Rewriting Scripture to Justify Tithing)

Several years ago when I fist started learning about tithing, I joined an Yahoo Tithing Study group. This group of believers were very well versed on tithing. One of the profound questions that escapes some people who subscribe to monetary tithing is that they never ask how God’s tithing system became a money grab for the church. Let me tell you that insofar as scripture is concerned, the Bible was not source. The catholic unilaterally established a (income based) tithe by means of religious church legislation patterned after secular law in the six century. I cover this phenomenon in my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? Here is what the catholic church decided, “The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the canons of the Council of Maçon in 585. In course of time, we find the payment of tithes made obligatory by ecclesiastical enactments in all the countries of christendom.” The process of ripping up the God’s biblical tithe laws to change them to fit the needs of the worldwide catholic church began by proclamations to the effect: “The Church looked on this payment as “of divine law, since tithes were instituted not by man but by the Lord Himself” (C. 14, X de decim. III, 30). As regards the civil power, the Christian Roman emperors granted the right to churches of retaining a portion of the produce of certain lands, but the earliest instance of the enforcement of the payment of ecclesiastical tithes by civil law is to be found in the capitularies of Charlemagne, at the end of the eighth century.” (Taken from New Advent). So what we have is that the Catholic juggernaught took it upon themselves to decree and declare that income-based tithing was legal based on their personal doctrinal view of the authority as religious leaders of the world. They felt it was not necessary to prove monetary tithing from the Bible because when they decreed it, that meant it was law.

Now some people believe tithing always existed in America and in the churches but, but as I discovered in my research, tithing money or income based tithing did not appear in American churches until it was invented in 1873 by Alexander L. Hogshead and John W. Pratt according to the Dean of Vanderbilt University’s James Hudnut-Beumler’s book, “In Pursuit of the Almighty Dollar,” (c) 2007 Vanderbilt University. You can see an article written by Russell Kelly explaining the invention of the the in United states in 1873, in an article titled, 1873: TITHING FIRST SUGGESTED IN USA.

Manipulating the Bible is can be done so easy and yet the hearers never question that a scripture is taken out of context. For example, when tithing taught using Proverbs 3:9, it reads, “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase..” Now, in the average congregant ears, what are they hearing after they have been indoctrinated into the income-based tithing system? Well, this is how the verse is contorted in their mind, “Honor the Lord with your money, with the first 10% of your paycheck. Mind you, the actual verse has nothing to do with money. Proverbs 3:9 is about edible items not cold hard cash. You can check out a book bubble I wrote on first fruits titled, What Are First Fruits in the Bible? The internet is the greatest invention known to man and it has exposed all the falsehoods about income-based tithing. What do we know about tithes and first fruits?

“Tithes and first fruits were not given concurrently during each year. For example, first fruits were offered on the 16th day of the first money (Nisan) and the sixth day of the third month (Sivan) of the Jewish calendar year. In contrast, the year for the tithing of livestock [not money] commenced the first day of the sixth money (Elul); while harvest tithing initiated on the 15 day of the 11th month (Shevat). The specific tithes were due one year form the date preceded. (Sources: “The Book of Our Heritage”, By Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov/The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 185 [NKJV], by John MackArthur. (Taken from A Closer Look At Tithing by Victor T. Stephens”

When you pay money to a church as in tithing a tenth of your income, you are paying a tax of sorts. I would even say that you a paying a temple tax or a spiritual tax which the Lord does not require. What he does ask is that believer have a whole heart of giving.

Israel’s Tithing System

We cannot stress too strongly the importance of interpreting Scripture in context. By the simple expedience of beginning the text two verses earlier, we can see how dramatically that alters one’s perception. For example, in the New Testament, there is a verse that every Christian in the world knows – it is from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi and he writes, “Work out your salvation in fear and trembling,” I imagine that most Christians are familiar with this verse but how many can complete the sentence? “for it is God that is at work within you to will and to do.” [Phil. 2:12-13]

Now, if it is true that we have to be careful to set verses in their context, it is imperative that we also set the text into its historical and cultural context. In order to see these verses in their proper light, we must first ask the question – Under what Covenant was Malachi writing, the Old or the New? Quite clearly, Malachi is both Old Testament and Old Covenant. Therefore, any exposition and contemporary application needs to take that into account.

Unlike the New Covenant where we are a “Priesthood of Believers,” in the Old Covenant was a “Priest-class” – a specific tribe designated as Priests and this was the tribe of Levi. The Levitical Priesthood, as it was known, is the concern of the Malachi passage. The over-arching argument of Hebrews is that the Priesthood of Jesus is better than the Levitical Priesthood. The writer to the Hebrews insists that:

The Levitical Priesthood was inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek;

The Levitical order is both outclassed and replaced by the new order and has become redundant.

Under the now redundant Levitical system, the priests acted as representatives for the people and served as mediators between them and God. Whilst having priestly privileges, a Levite had no worldly comforts. For example, he had no income and no property. A Levite had no independent means of support whatsoever. Moreover, when Jacob divided Israel’s inheritance, there was not even an allotment to Levi. In such circumstances, the other eleven tribes met the day-to-day needs of the Levites. It was, if you will, an Old Covenant quid pro quo – The other eleven tribes not being allowed to minister unto the Lord is tempered by the Levites not being able to work.

The solution was an entirely practical and pragmatic one. Each tribe would be responsible for bringing into a central storehouse one-tenth of their produce to meet their everyday needs. The Malachi passage is a rebuke to those who were withholding their support and thus, compromising this system.

I am of the view that tithing is one of the things in the Bible that is “biblical” but not Christian. I readily admit that for some that is a bitter pill to swallow but we take it for granted that circumcision is clearly biblical and yet, it is not viewed as Christian. The same can be said of polygamy. My fundamental objection is that those who press the hardest the case for tithing demand that we give like Israelites do not themselves live like Levites.

Moreover, if tithing is a New Covenant praxis, why does Paul not mention it when he writes a thoroughgoing passage on giving? I do not think that it is sufficient to argue from silence that tithing was an axiom of the Christian life. Accordingly, I raise the following objections:

The Levitical priesthood belongs to the now obsolete Levitical Priesthood;

The entire book of Hebrews makes the argument that Jesus and His Covenant is superior to Moses and his covenant;

The point to note is not that Abraham paid the tithe but that Levi paid it. His purpose in doing so is to pose the question, “Which is the greater priesthood, the one who paid the tithe or the one who received it?”;

Hebrews confirms that there has been both a change in the priesthood and a change in the law;

In the New Covenant, there is no such office as Priest, rather, we are a royal priesthood; priest and pastor are not interchangeable terms;

In the end as it relate to giving, you have to be free not to give and if you are not, then you are not free to give because it does not come from the heart but from percentage. Become a freewill give and don’t get trapped in the tentacles of income based tithing. Below is one of my readers. Thanks Charles for joining the tithe conversation.

Author and former military man Frank Chase Jr. grew in Baltimore, MD. He got interested in writing from watching movies and listening to a radio show called mystery theatre, but it was only in his thirties after a divorce that his desire to write escalated. His debut book “False Roads to Manhood: What Women Need to Know: What Men Need to Understand” took him seven years of research and writing. If he weren’t a writer, Frank would be a stage actor as it has been his passion since high school.Being a writer has taught him that everyone will not agree with you or what you may write, but it leaves a record and a legacy that can help future generations long after you have passed on. He is currently writing a scripture-centered book and also plans on writing a fiction novel soon. Read full interview…

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My book has been nominated for Book Cover of the Month on AllAuthor.com. It would be greatly appreciated if you could take a moment to vote.Vote Now »

Thank you for your support,Frank Chase Jr

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One of the reasons, I write these tithing blogs is to make sure people have information to fight against the monetary deception. For the Bible says in Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” To reject knowledge about God’s authentic, authorized biblical agricultural and herd and flock tithe can lead to financial ruin. The Law of God declares the tithe as edible items but today most of God’s people have forgotten the law of their God and changed His tithe into a money collection system that has produced a grotesque financial aristocracy in the leadership of the institutional church.

Many pastors argue that how are they suppose to pay the church bills if people don’t tithe. Many of them are taught in seminary what the true tithe is, but are cautioned not to teach what the Bible actually says because they my go bankrupt if the people don’t give. So pastors think they only have two options in order to survive: one, they much teach people will be cursed if they don’t tithe ten percent of the annual income or two, trust God in faith to provide the money from voluntary gifts given from the heart as the Bible in instructs in 2 Cor. 9:7 that “each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (CJB). Now, Paul’s statement makes it clear that every individual must decide how much to give, which makes it illegal to say that a tenth of someone’s income is required by Yahweh. No pastor or church is authorized to use the Old Testament tithe law in the New Convenant.

When Paul wrote Hebrews 7:18, it reads: “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment…” The question to ask is what is the former commandment that Paul sets aside and annuals. Based on strict exegesis from Hebrews 7:5 which reads: ” And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; …” the commandment Paul refers to setting aside is Hebrews 7:5 because he refers to no other commandment in the chapter or any surrounding chapters. So as it stands, the “disannulling of the commandment” is no other than Paul setting aside the Levite’s tithe commandment for the institutional church and the believer. So why did Paul disannull the tithe command? The next verse in Hebrews chapter 7, verse 19 says why tithing is set aside in the New Testament: “for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” The new hope in Christ is that we give from the heart as we purpose in our hearts. Just as Christ gave his life freely, we give freely as he did without compulsion or grudgingly as cheerful freewill grace givers. Paul rejected tithing because he understood that Christ came from another priesthood and considered Levi’s priesthood as one that was made after a carnal command.

Based on the law, and in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 5, the Bible says that Levi had the commandment to collect and receive tithes. If you look in Numbers 18:26, reads “Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe.” From this verse, it is clear that the Levites had to pay a tithe of the tithe. In other words a tenth of the tenth. Mathematically that is one percent. So that means the High Priest Aaron and his son received on one percent of the tithe. The chapter also says that Levi paid tithes in Abraham when Abraham tithe to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:9). What Paul indicates in this chapter is that Abraham’s one-time tithe was for Levi (the future priesthood of Israel), and not a tithe for Abram himself.

The Bible debunks money tithing because tithing is commanded in the scripture from agricultural increase in Leviticus 27:30-33, Deut. 12:17, Duet. 14:23, 28, 2 Chron. 35:1-6 Nehemiah 10:37 and 12:44, Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42. Anyone who suggests of commands Christians to pay tithes from income have misread the Bible when it clearly proves there is no such thing as tithing o non-agricultural increase. Agricultural tithes were mandatory in the scripture and they came from land based products. And by the way, offerings were required three times a year and guess what, only men were required to bring offerings. See Deuteronomy 16:16 which reads “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.”

Most pastors love to use the Abraham argument of tithing before the law law to justify why believers must pay a tithe in the age of grace. However, as James Ngari of Facebook’s Tithing. The Bitter Truth dispels any notion that tithing is required or that Abram freely tithe based on God’s command when he wrote:

Abraham’s Tithe to Melchizedek Reflected Pagan Tradition. The false teaching is that Abraham freely gave tithes because it was God’s will. For the following reasons, Genesis 14:20 cannot be used as an example for Christians to tithe.

(1) The Bible does not say that Abraham “freely” gave this tithe.

(2) Abraham’s gift was NOT a holy tithe from God’s holy land gathered by God’s holy people under God’s holy Old Covenant.

(3) Abraham’s tithe was only from pagan spoils of war common to many nations.

(4) In Numbers 31, God only required 1% of spoils of war.

(5) Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek was a one-time recorded event.

(6) Abraham’s tithe was not from his own personal property.

(7) Abraham kept nothing for himself; he gave everything back.

(8) Abraham’s tithe is not quoted anywhere in the Bible to endorse tithing.

(9) Genesis 14, verse 21, is the key text. Since most commentaries explain verse 21 as an example of pagan Arab tradition, it is contradictory to explain the 90% of verse 21 as pagan, while insisting that the 10% of verse 20 was God’s will.

(10) If Abraham is an example for Christians to give 10% to God, then he should also be an example for Christians to give the other 90% to Satan, or to the king of Sodom!

(11) Since neither Abraham nor Jacob had a Levitical priesthood to support, they had no place to bring tithes and probably left food for the poor at their altars.

Another person in the feed on Facebook wrote that item (12) would be that Abram had to kill someone before he had the elements to tithe.

Not only does the Bible debunk tithing, but many people throughout history have argued that tithing money is not biblical and that God never required.

Didascalia Apostolorum (ca. 225)

“No more be bound with sacrifices and oblations, and with sin offerings, purifications, and vows . . . nor yet with tithes and firstfruits. . . . for it was laid upon them [i.e., the Israelites] to give all these things as of necessity, but you are not bound by these things. . . . Now thus shall your righteousness abound more than their tithes and firstfruits and part offerings, when you shall do as it is written: Sell all thou hast, and give to the poor.”

The Waldenses, followers of Peter Waldo (ca. twelfth century), believed that tithes should not be given to priests “because there was no use of them in the primitive Church.”

Allix, “Some Remarks upon the Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the Piedmont,” 1690, reprint, Bible Truth Library: Bible and Church History Collection, The Bible Truth Forum, CD-ROM. Available from http://www.bibletruthforum.com, 218, 232.

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1275)

“Paying tithes, it appears, is no longer of precept, because the precept to pay tithes was given in the Old Law. . . . Paying tithes cannot be considered a moral precept, however, because natural reason does not dictate that one ought to give a tenth, rather than a ninth or an eleventh. Therefore, it is a ceremonial or a judicial precept.”

Roger Williams has been credited with founding the first or second Baptist church in America. In 1652, Williams concluded that ministers of the gospel are to serve freely and be supported freely, “and that not in stinted Wages, Tithes, Stipends, Salaries, &c. but with larger or lesser supplies, as the Hand of the Lord was more or lesse extended in his weekly blessings on them.”

Milton wrote forcibly against tithes, which he considered ceremonial and abolished.

John Milton, Considerations touching the likeliest means to remove hirelings out of the church. Wherein is also discourc’d of tithes, church-fees, church-revenues; and whether any maintenance of ministers can be settl’d by law.(London: L. Chapman, 1659), A9–A10, 15–18, 32–35, 37.

John Bunyan (Baptist; 1628–1688)

John Bunyan (1628–1688), author of Pilgrim’s Progress, commented on Luke 18:10–13, “This paying of tithes was ceremonial, such as came in and went out with the typical priesthood.”

The Little Parliament (1653), under Cromwell and the Independent Churches, was moving toward voluntarism, that is, “that the maintenance of Churches by means of tithes ought to be done away.”

Henry William Clarke, History of English Nonconformity, 2 vols.(London: Chapman and Hall, 1911-1913), 1:374.

Martin Luther (1483–1546)

“I would even be glad if [today] lords ruled according to the example of Moses. If I were emperor, I would take from Moses a model for [my] statutes; not that Moses should be binding on me, but that I should be free to follow him in ruling as he ruled. For example, tithing is a very fine rule, because with the giving of the tenth all other taxes would be eliminated. For the ordinary man it would also be easier to give a tenth than to pay rents and fees. Suppose I had ten cows; I would then give one. If I had only five, I would give nothing.”

“That the due maintenance of the Officers aforesaid, should be of the free and voluntarie contribution of the Church, that according to Christs ordinance, they which preach the Gospell may live of the Gospell: and not by Popish Lordships and Livings, of Iewish Tithes and Offerings.”

Henry Martyn Dexter, The Congregationalism of the Last Three Hundred Years, as Seen in Its Literature (New York: Harper, 1880), 307.

“VII. That the due maintenance of the Officers aforeſsaid ſhould be of the free and voluntary contribution of the Church, that according to Chriſts ordinance they which preach the Goſpell, may live of the Goſpell, and not by Popiſh Lordſhips and livings or Iewiſh Tithes and offerings.”

Henry Ainsworth and Francis Johnson, An Apologie or Defence of Such True Christians as are commonly (but vniuſtly) called Brovvwinsts (n.p.: n.p., 1604), 58.

John Smyth (1609)

John Smyth (1609), a Separatist whom many credit with being the first Baptist, said that Christ abolished tithes.

Robinson was the pastor of the “Pilgrim Fathers” before they left on the Mayflower. Robinson remained in Holland with the majority of the congregation. He wrote that he supported the views of Ainsworth and Smyth. In his argument, he claimed that the author of Hebrews taught that “the law is abolished by the gospel, in the sense we speak of: and the old testament by the new, in respect of ordinances,” and tithing was one of those ordinances that had been abolished. He argued that the maintenance of ministers should be through voluntary contributions.

John Robinson, The Works of John Robinson: Pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers, 3 vols., edited by Robert Ashton (London: John Snow, 1851), 2:185-86; 466-67.

Adam Clarke (ca. 1762–1832)

“I say again, let there be a national religion, and a national clergy supported by the state; but let them be supported by a tax, not by tithes, or rather let them be paid out of the general taxation; or, if the tithe system must be continued, let the poor-rates be abolished, and the clergy, out of the tithes, support the poor in their respective parishes, as was the original custom.”

Adam Clarke, Clarke’s Commentary: A New Edition, with the Author’s Final Corrections,6 vols. (New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1846), 1:179-80.

Charles Buck (English; 1833)

His article on tithing stated that nothing in the New Testament commanded tithing since “the divine right by which they were raised necessarily ceased.”

John Newton Brown (1803–1868), who wrote the draft of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833), edited an encyclopedia. The article on tithes in this encyclopedia (published in 1836) explicitly said they ceased. The New Hampshire Confession of Faith was a precursor to the Baptist Faith and Message.

“I hear a great deal about the tithing of incomes. I have no sympathy with the movement at all. A tenth in the case of one man is meanness, and in the case of another man is dishonesty. I know men today who are Christian men in city churches and village chapels, who have no business to give a tenth of their income to the work of God. They cannot afford it. I know other men who are giving one-tenth, and the nine-tenths they keep is doing harm to their souls. (Taken from http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/documents/articles/tithing.php#.WhcwALQ-f1I).

There is no scripture in the Bible were they did turn the land and crop tithe into money, but what the Israelites did with the money once they got to the temple blows up any argument that Israelites paid money to the temple or to the priests. Here is what Deuteronomy 14:24-27 says, “But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.” This scripture clearly debunk monetary tithing because God told the Israelite farmer and herders that if the livestock and crop tithe was to much to carry to the temple festival site, they could sell their tithes and carry the money rather than the goods to the temple site. When they arrived at the place where God choose he told them according the Jewish Bible “…and exchange the money for anything you want–cattle, sheep, wine, other intoxicating liquor, or anything you please–and you are to eat there in the presence of Adonai, and enjoy yourself , you and your household (verse 26).”

Based on scripture, not one penny of the money carried to temple was ever paid as a tithe. In fact it is clear that they spent the money on food and drink and ate the tithe in what I would call a potluck dinner. They had a party with God and ate good food celebrating the blessings they had received. Sorry pastors, Duet. 14 is not a smoking gun for monetary tithing, but it is a clear rejection of the monetary tithe scam. Following the examples of the New Covenant giving principles is the only way to support ministry and churches.

In my effort to debunk false tithing claims, let me give you more refutations that blow up the pro-monetary tithe doctrine so that you will know that truth does not lie but sheds light on falsehood. We often hear preacher say that tithing was before the law. That claim is false because the tithe before the law was not the same as the tithe in the law. The tithe was not commanded until the law was established under Moses. The tithe ordinance law was abolished by the institution of the New Covenant and Hebrews 9 and 10 makes this clear. Another twisted tithe searching asserts that tithing is how God’s church receives support. There is no verse in the Bible to substantiate that claim so it is false because Paul stated that believer support the church in this way 2 Cor. 9;7: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (NIV). One of the most heinous violations of scriptural interpretation is when a pastors say, tithing keep the Devil from attacking your finances. This is blatant robbery of God’s people and is patently false and out of context because Malachi 3:8-11 is not talking about money tithing. And the devourer mentioned in the verse refers to Israel’s devourer which is locusts. Here is an excerpt from my book, kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? that explains the devourer in the proper Hebrew text.

The theological question one must ask is: Who is the devourer? Is he the devil or is he something or someone else? If you don’t know, keep reading and the truth will set you free from fear forever. So let’s see what the Bible says based on the Hebrew language and not what man says from personal interpretation. In Malachi 3:11, the key word is devourer. From Strong’s #398, devourer in the Hebrew is “akal.” It means to eat, feed, or consume. It refers to something that eats food, either man or animal. The Hebrew word has six meanings: “1) to eat (human subject), 2) to eat, devour (used of animals and birds), 3) to devour, consume (used of fire), 4) to devour, to kill (used of sword), 5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects: that is, pestilence, drought), 6) to devour (used of oppression).”

If you examine the context of Malachi 3:11 and the six meanings and nuances of the Hebrew word “akal,” then who and what is the devourer? Using word study and replacing the word devourer in the text with each of the Hebrew meanings will show you how to interpret the text.

And I will rebuke the [humans] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…

And I will rebuke the [birds, animals, insects] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…

And I will rebuke [fire] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;… And I will rebuke the [pestilence, drought] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…

And I will rebuke the [sword] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…

6. And I will rebuke the [oppressor] for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…

Because the Hebrew word “akal” has different nuances and meanings, we must examine its use in the text to make sure who and what the context of Malachi 3:11 refers to when it uses the word devourer. In Exodus 24:16-17, devourer is used to describe God as a devouring fire. What we see in the text is God in a theophany (a manifestation or appearance of a deity), as a cloud in verse 16 and fire in verse 17. To the Israelites, the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire (Devourer Heb. akal KJV) on top of the mountain. In this context, the devourer (akal) is not the devil but is God as a manifestation.

In Deuteronomy 4:24, “akal” is used to describe God as a consuming fire. “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire (Hebrew Akal), a jealous God.” The context of this verse has no connection to the devil but ascribes human feelings and affections to God associated with jealousy using figurative language, which is often called anthropopatheia in theology.

In Genesis 37:33, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and they took his coat of many colors and killed an animal and dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood to fake his death to Jacob. Jacob said in verse 33 “…It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured (Devourer Heb. akal) him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces” (NIV). The word devourer in this context is the nuance that speaks of an animal consuming human flesh like a devouring beast. No way one can insinuate that the devil is referenced in this verse either. To equate the devil with the word devourer would mean that Joseph’s brothers would have had to say the devil ate the body of Joseph. That is preposterous!

It is amazing what word study can do for people who seek truth to what a word means in the Bible. Word study is a valuable study practice to ward off false doctrine. The same Hebrew word “akal” is used in Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, You are free to eat (“akal”) from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat (“akal”) from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” As I stated earlier, devourer in this nuanced context of the Hebrew word “akal” deals not with an animal but with Adam, a human, eating from the trees in the Garden of Eden. There is no way you can turn the Hebrew word in this verse into the devil either. I hope you realize at this point that the devourer in Malachi is not the devil and never has been.

When the prophet spoke in Malachi 3:11, could he have had Psalms 105:34-35 in mind because the same Hebrew word “akal” describes what devourer means. The verse says, “He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up [“akal”] every green thing in their land, ate up [“akal”] the produce of their soil” (NKJV). The text shows that pests were devouring everything in Egypt. There are many other instances of devourer appearing in the Scripture that show the word “akal.” Amos 4:6-9 and Exodus 10:3-5, 14-15 refers to the same Hebrew word “akal,” where pests are eating something.

Nowhere does the word “akal” imply that the devourer is the devil. From the list I gave, only number 2 is the correct word for Malachi 3:11. In the verse God uses the pronoun he to indicate something that eats crops. The context shows that God will rebuke insects or locusts from destroying their crops and would prevent fruit from falling off the vine before they ripen. The devourer is not the devil in Malachi. So there is no curse on you or your money for not tithing. If you suspect that my analysis is wildly inconclusive, then let the Bible explain itself. Malachi 3:11 says, “I will also stop locusts from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing” (CEV). The NIV says, “I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.”

When God said he would rebuke the devourer, he was only speaking of little creatures and insects that destroy agriculture. There was no blessing of rain because God shut up the sky. Without rain, the animals would starve and die of thirst. So in Malachi it was drought and insects that caused problems for the Hebrew people all because the priests profaned the tithing covenant laws of Levi. The Hebrew language explains and proves the devourer in Malachi is not something you should be afraid of unless you are a farmer. The curse of Malachi is God holding back rain from the land and allowing insects to run rampant throughout the crops during a drought. If Israel tithed livestock and crops in the manner God instructed, He promised to give them rain, to keep locust from eating their crops and that the fruit from the trees wouldn’t fall prematurely. What God promised in Malachi is directly related to Israel’s agricultural land economy and nothing to do with money. Malachi is not talking about your paycheck. Finally, if a pastor tells you that you will not receive God’s best and are cursed for not tithing, tell him or her the New Testament says in Galatians 3:13 that Christ became sin and a curse for us, so there is no curse for not tithing. Tell them that Paul wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (NIV).

No matter what you hear come from the pulpit, always remember that when the Bible says tithes, God is asking for eatable agricultural products from the land and livestock.

One of the most common claims made about tithing is when Christians say, “I tried tithing and it works,” but that claim is false because tithing money is based on a false assumption and false motive that tithing is money that God requires. The reality is, God does not honor a practice based false assumptions and misinterpretation of scripture. Then we have other believer saying, “The Lord convicted me to tithe.” That may sound noble, but it is a false claim because the Holy Spirit always convicts based on truth and not falsehood, lies or error. The conviction to tithe does not come from the Lord, it comes from the conviction of another who browbeats people to pay ten percent from the pulpit or be cursed. It really is not the Lord convicting Christians to tithe, it is fear of a so-called curse from God that motives people to believe that ten percent of their paycheck is required from Yahweh. One of the latest shell tricks from the pulpit is to tell believers that Jesus is their Melchizedek as if that is enough to force them to believe in tithing, which some do. Melchizedek was a priest and because Jesus priesthood was after the order of Melchizedek, all believers are required to tithe. It is false because Hebrews 10:12 says, “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,” This scam won’t work because we are all no Kings and Priests in the Kingdom of God and as such, we as priest don’t pay a tithe. There is no more sacrifice or tithing because our high priest Christ is sat down at the right hand of the father.

If people take time to study their Bibles, it would not be difficult to debunk tithing. However, when I studied the subject I wanted to make sure I left no tithing scripture unturned. So in my power point original tithing study on New Testament Giving compiled some evidence from others on how others refuted an debunked false tithing claims. Check out the two slides below.

Author and former military man Frank Chase Jr. grew in Baltimore, MD. He got interested in writing from watching movies and listening to a radio show called mystery theatre, but it was only in his thirties after a divorce that his desire to write escalated. His debut book “False Roads to Manhood: What Women Need to Know: What Men Need to Understand” took him seven years of research and writing. If he weren’t a writer, Frank would be a stage actor as it has been his passion since high school.Being a writer has taught him that everyone will not agree with you or what you may write, but it leaves a record and a legacy that can help future generations long after you have passed on. He is currently writing a scripture-centered book and also plans on writing a fiction novel soon. Read full interview…

Folks, many pro-tithers take pride in saying, the New Testament does not command anyone to not tithe. In fact, many times Mathew 23:23 is used as proof text to prove you must tithing money to the church. However if anyone has an ounce of biblical sense, they would know that Jesus’ instruction based on the context of the verse is not about tithing money. When he said “not left the other undone” many pro-tithers think the endorsement of tithing in Mathew references your weekly paycheck. Tithing in the Bible was never based on a weekly or biweekly paycheck process. Tithing in the Bible was based on the sabbatical cycle not a paycheck cycle. The tithe was land based not income based. Many who argue that the New Testament does not say not to tithe, think they have you over a barrel, when they use this verse out of context. But what tithers fail to understand is that New Testament wouldn’t have to say not to tithe because the words “not left the other undone” that Jesus spoke referred to agricultural and livestock tithing. Jesus was not endorsing a monetary tithe. He simply told the hypocritical Pharisees that crops and cattle should be tithed and not left undone. There is no monetary tithe context in Mathew 23:23. The reason why the New Testament does not command believers not to tithe is because the first century audience already knew the the tithe was edible items which was a tenth part of the crops and every tenth animal from the land of Israel. Trying to play a scriptural shell game with the scriptures will not work if someone knows the land, language and literature of the God’s people.

It is hard to convince people that the Bible does not endorse monetary tithing, and even in the face of overwhelming scriptural evidence to support that a tenth of their income is not required of God, it amazes me that people choose ignorance over truth. But maybe if someone else provided proof, maybe that would help. So below I posted a Facebook friend’s answer to the argument that says, the New Testament does not say not to tithe. Or the question goes, show me where the Bible commands us not to tithe. The following is a post by Anthony Todd on Facebook:

I humbly and with all due respect request someone to tell me of one verse in the New Testament that tells us not to tithe. Please don’t twist or change a verse to suit your opinion or inclination. This group has been characterized by name calling, insults and the sort, I wish you avoid that in your responses. Talk the truth not your opinion.

Kimathi Remmy RE: “Thanks for all those responses people. Now in reference to the teachings of the Bible (Which is our guiding book) How did Jesus (Who is God) disqualify tithing? Mention the word for me to understand this. Thank you.”

>>> Why would God have to “disqualify” tithing to people God never “qualified” it to in the first place? And…

1. Where did God instruct Christians to pay/surrender tithes? NOWHERE.

2. Where did God ever tell us that a church or a pastor has a right to takes tithes? NOWHERE.

3. Where did God transfer the ownership of the tithe from the tribe of Levits to to any Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, Evangelists, church, ministry, organization, or anyone? NOWHERE….

“Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.” – Numbers 18:26

4. Where did God instruct Christians to “continue tithing?” NOWHERE.

5. Where did God establish the paying of money as “tithing?” NOWHERE.

6. Where did God instruct Gentiles to tithe in the Old or New Testament? NOWHERE.

7. Why didn’t the first church council when the Apostle James (speaking for the Apostle Peter), include in his instructions to the Gentile Believers to “make sure you tithe”?….

“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” – Acts 15:28-29

Not one word from the Apostles Peter or James to tithe. If tithing was so important and an instruction from to tithe; why did the Apostle Peter leave it out of his instructions?

> Also, left out of this verse…

“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law [i.e., tithe: Jesus said tithing was a matter of the law – Matt. 23:23]: to whom we gave no such commandment:” – Acts 15:24.

If tithing was required and taught in the New Testament for Christians, it would have to be clearly detailed and outlined in the terms and conditions of the New Testament like all promises and commands of the New Testament are.

Tithing instructions would be clearly included in the New Testament. No such terms, conditions or details are outlined anywhere in the New Testament. Tithing was never, is not now, and will never be part of the New Testament.

No Apostle ever taught tithing, asked for a tithe, rebuked any person or church for not tithing, or received a tithe. Not one of them. The early church (i.e. Book of Acts) NEVER tithed. We have NO record of them doing so.

>>> AND ONE LAST QUESTION…

An inconvenient question; one that tithing teachers and tithers avoid and prefer not to discuss or answer…

If we are supposed to be tithing money, or at all for that matter, as tithing teachers claim; why are we not supposed to be doing what God says with the tithe money? Like this…

1. Do not pay the tithe in the form of money. Keep the money in your hand (bind it to your hand) until you…

2. Buy wine with it.

3. Buy strong drink (harder liqueur) with it.

4. Buy livestock and other food.

5. Buy whatever you desire, whatever you lust after.

6. Share what you buy with a Levite and family.

7. Only convert your tithe money back to fruits, vegetables and clean live stock, etc., at the location you will share it with a Levite if it is too far to transport it in the form God says it is to paid in.

8. Eat your tithe with the Levite.

9. Learn to fear and respect the Lord by doing one through eight above.

>> Why don’t tithing teachers tell their faithful tithers this?…

> Deuteronomy 14;

22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, 27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

>>> CONCLUSION; as you can see, these five unscriptural attempts to pressure Christians into tithing do not hold water and are not validated when scripture is closely scrutinized and studied. If proper biblical interpretation and using the Bible to interpret the Bible is employed, each false argument falls like a house of cards. We are called by God to be free will cheerful generous givers, not tithers.

The Facebook post above shuts down the felonious argument that the New Testament does not say stop tithing. I used felonious on purpose because it related to a crime, and it is a crime to force people to pay a tithe from their paycheck, which amounts to robbery. In chapter 12 of my book, The Gospel Syndrome I address the the issue Matthew 23:23 and point out that the New Covenant has not been established so the Old Testament Laws of paying the herd and crop tithe was well in effect. Here’s an excerpt from Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

“Jesus did not ask for an income based tithe because money is capaciously absent from Matthew 23. An established monetary system did exist in Jesus’ time, and the Scriptures confirm this by informing us of an incident where He turned over the moneychanger’s tables in the temple.

Remember, the events in the Matthew’s Gospel and the other gospels took place simultaneously when the temple stood and the Old Covenant was still in effect with the Levites performing temple duties and collecting tithes. None of this had any connection to the New Covenant because the Old Covenant still operated and had not been superseded by the New Covenant. Matthew 23:23, does not apply to the Ekklesia (today’s congregation of believers). Many people assume that Matthew 23:23 was transferred to the New Testament Ekklesia as a requirement. This is not the case because the tithe laws applied only to the Hebrew people as a part of God’s Covenant with the Levites for their service in the temple. The disciples were not Levites and did not work in the temple and the physical rituals associated with the Old Covenant temple services in Jerusalem do not govern today’s New Testament Christian congregation. “That’s why tithe teachers cannot prove Christ paid or collected tithes. During His ministry from age 30 to 33, Jesus never used tithe money to support His ministry or pay ministry expenses. Moreover, the Bible proves this in Luke 8:3, which details how Christ obtained support: “Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means” (NIV). Christ and the disciples were supported by private funds and freewill offerings from many followers who believed and not by tithes.

In Matthew, the eatable tithe of mint, dill and cumin the Pharisees and scribes offered is worthless because it was without a commitment to judgment, mercy and faith. When tithing is taught as a requirement to receive a blessing, it is an error. The context of Matthew 23:23 refers to tithing under to the law and this is what the Pharisees followed. So the next time you hear tithing was before the law, you know the preacher or teacher is contradicting Jesus by trying to disconnect tithing from the law. Here’s the problem with preachers who use Matthew to prove God wants Christians to tithe 10 percent of their income.” Excerpt From: Frank Chase Jr. “Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? iBooks.

Since the church has a inordinate fascination with money, lets look at some verse from the Bible where money is mentioned so that we can see if money was ever tithed in the scriptures. Now I can tell your that a huge section of my book covers money in the Bible and I know for certain that money wherever is it mentioned, there is not one instance where God said pay a tithe with money.

The everlasting argument Bible theologians, scholars, pastors, Christians and those who investigate Bible history and archeology is whether we can say with certainty that biblical peoples tithed money or crops or both. What was the money used for in the Bible? Was there ever an instance where money was paid as a tithe? Or did Yahweh ever commute the agricultural, herd and flock tithe to money? In the OT the both the words money and tithe are mentioned. But are these items the same? A quick search finds that there are 140 scripture references to money. So let’s look at some verse to see it God wanted money as a tithe.

Money is mentioned is Gen 17: 12-13, 23, “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.”

The Hebrew word money is Strong’s 3701 (Keseph/kesep). This type of money was a type of metal, silver with a pale color (TWOT 1015a). It was not coins or paper money, it was pieces of silver for use in buying and trading.

The above verses context deals strictly with the circumcision covenant between God and Abraham.

The only command God gives Abraham is that when he buys a slave or one that is born in his house with money to circumcise them.

God issues no command in this context to tithe the money.

One must find somewhere from Genesis 1 to the end where God issued a command to tithe money.

In reference to money, you must examine how Abraham got all his money. You can trace Abrahams money trail from his time in Ur of Chaldess in Gen. 11:31 – Gen. 13: 2-3.

None of Abraham’s wealth came through tithing, but through a promise

The context of these verses is circumcising people born in his house and circumcising purchased slaves bought from a foreigner

God mentions money to Israel during Exodus 30:16, which deals with paying redemption money (gold or silver) to the temple during the census, “And thou shalt take the ATONEMENT MONEY of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.”

The context here is for temple/sanctuary dues not tithes and certainly not a tenth of money. Wow!

The payment was required for every Israelite twenty year old up during the census.

The atonement money was used for Temple upkeep, not Tithes. The atonement money was not a tithe, a tenth or ten percent.

There was no special treatment given to the rich or poor. Everyone needs redemption and payment was the same for all, a half-shekel.

Each man had to pay when he became a certain age.

Notice women and children did not pay.

The amount of the half-shekel cannot be figured out exactly but in Today’s values as best we can tell was anywhere from 5 to 8 dollars. Back in Moses time it could have been anywhere from 25 Cents to 50 Cents. All of this was determined by the values of the specific times.

Every male in Israel paid this money yearly to the tent of meeting.

9. The Bible clearly shows the tent of meeting (OT Sanctuary) was supported by ransom/atonement money and not by a tithe in Exodus in in the pre-law society of Israel.

Conclusion of Exodus: What does Exodus tell us about money? Every reference to money in Exodus says nothing about paying money as a tithe to the Tent of Meeting. But it is explicit as to what money was used for. Here are the facts of scripture with no conjecture or private interpretation.

Money was used to buy servant/slaves

Money was used to purchase women in reference to marriage and if a woman was refused in marriage the man was required to fulfill her rights.

The abuse of a slave was forbidden because the slave represented money.

Money was paid when a owners bull kills another Israelite.

Money was paid when by a owner who dug a pit and didn’t cover it up and another person’s animal fell in and died.

Money was paid if a person thief if he was caught for stealing someone stuff left in the care of another one home.

Money was paid by a man who had sex with an un-betrothed virgin if the father refused to give her in marriage.

When money was loaned to a fellow Israelite, no interest is to be charged.

Money was paid as a ransom/redemption during census. It was given to the tent of meeting as a payment to God for protection.

Genesis and Exodus, no tithing was mentioned. But in Leviticus chapter 27:30-33, God finally mentions the tithe and describes it in detail and breaks down the contents of the tithe and never mentions tithing as money. If God required money as a tithe, the verses would have had to indicate the Hebrew word for money, which is Kesafim and the list would cite silver, gold, or shekels but the verse does not.

“30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD. the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD. 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”

The tithe is seed of the land

The tithe is fruit of the tree

The tithe is herds (cattle and oxen), flocks (sheep and goats)

The tithe is every tenth animal that passes under the Shepard’s rod

The tithe is not money. The Hebrew word for money is Kesafim and is not shown in the list of requirements

The agricultural tithe could be bought back with an additional fee attached and the farmer could keep the tithe but paid an additional fee on top of the cost of the tithe. The money the Israelite paid to keep his tithe was not a tithe, it was given in lieu is the tithe.

The Hebrew word for tithe is Ma’aser. It is Strong’s 1711h. The word means tenth part, not ten percent, as it is understood in cash. They tithed a tenth part of the crops (seeds of the land and fruit of the Trees) and every tenth animal from the increase only.

The tithe was from grain, fruit, nuts, grapes, herds and flocks.

The first place money is referenced in Numbers is on Num. 3:48-51: 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

The money in the verse is the same Hebrew word Keseph, which is silver.

The Levites were not originally supposed to serve in the Tent of Meeting, it was the first born males of all the tribes. See Numbers 3:45

God changed his mind after the Golden calf incident, see Exodus 32:26.

God wanted all the firstborn of Israel but choose the Levites and their animals.

There were 22, 000 Levites and 22, 273 first born Israelites.

Those that were over the count were 273 Israelites and they had to pay redemption money of five shekels per head.

The money was not tithe money but redemption money. As you can see, Moses had to give the money to Aaron and his sons as support.

The 273 first born paid 1,364 shekels to Moses.

So far a lot of money was paid as redemption money but not one red cent was paid as tithe money before or during the law in the Old Testament.

If money is a tithe, then John 2:14-16 would be a perfect place to see if monetary tithing took place during one of the Jewish Feasts at the Temple in Jerusalem. Jews came from around the territory and from afar to offer sacrifice. In John 2:14-16 “And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”

During this time when it was time to celebrate one of the three feasts, Israelites had to bring their animal and crop tithe to the temple. This stuff came from the tithe and freewill offerings.

As discovered, those Israelites that lived to far away from the Temple, had the option to covert their tithe to money and journey to the Temple with the money and repurchase their tithe at the temple. Deut. 14 explains this clearly, “22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of they flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD they GOD Always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, 27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.”

The above scripture give some context to Jn 2:14-16. The Temple was a busy place during the Passover, the feasts of weeks and the feast of tabernacles (booths).

The people who came to the temple with money are those most likely who converted their tithe to money. According to Duet they had to rebuy their tithe.

Here come the money changes who set up shop in the temple to convert Roman money to acceptable temple money which was most likely Jewish shekel

If Jews brought Roman money to the Temple it had to be converted to Jewish money by the moneychangers who are banker types.

The money changes made a handsome profit on the exchange and even cheating by charging above the rate.

Roman money could not be accepted because of the image of a pagan Emperor God and was not fit for Jewish worship and was considered an offence . 5-8 from the Zondervan pictorial Dict. Page 555.

Once a year at the temple every Jewish male over 19 years old was to pay a temple tax as stipulated by Lev 1:3 and Deut 17:1 and Duet 16:1-17 explains the three feasts at the temple.

10. According to the Note in Archaeological NIV Study Bible on page 1707, it states that “The temple area (the outer court of the Gentiles was the place where various items necessary for sacrifices were sold: animal, wine, oil, salt and doves. In addition, money was changed form Roman currency to the required Tyrian shekels in accordance with the Law (Ex 30: 11-14). The practice becomes permanent once a year.”

11. The money changer in Greek is “Kollubistes”, he was a coin dealer, a banker

Based on their cheating in exchanges rate, Unger’s Bible Dictionary on page says, they could have made up to 40-45 thousand dollars. They were the ultimate hucksters.

This cheating force Jesus to over turn the Tables and expose the cheating of the Temple. Would Jesus go into churches today and overturn the money tithe system and accuse dogmatic tithe teachers as turning the church into a den of thieves or God people objects of merchandise?

14. The priests allowed these shenanigans to go on and most likely benefited from financial kickbacks from the practice, and perhaps go taken to the cleaners by the moneychangers also.

The Final Analysis

Money was not tithed in all 140 instances referenced on the Bible.

Money was used for almost everything else except a tithe.

Tithes were turned into money and spent by the tither for food, drink and sharing.

Money was used for taxes, bribes, land purchase, dowries, selling yourself into servitude, .ect, but never as a tithe.

Money Tithe (maser kesafim) is not commanded on the pages of the Bible.

Israel had an ancient money banking system.

Israel was not a 100 percent agricultural society.

Arguing Money Tithing from unsubstantiated scriptures is an argument from silence in scripture.

Tithing of money (Maaser Kesafim) according to some Jewish authorities, it is believed to be an oral command or a rabbinic injunction that is required but not according to the TORAH.

Tithing of money (Maaser Kesafim) according to some Jewish authorities say that it is neither required by the scriptures or by Rabbinic authority.

The only tithe the Bible commands is Maaser (A tenth part of that which grows from the ground that is eatable).

Tithing of money according to Jewish authorities is that the practice is a custom, a tradition that can be practiced but no scripture requires it.

Tithing of money according to Jewish authorities says if it is practiced, the tithe can only be given to the poor and nowhere else.

The tithe of money was a recent invention to support massive church building programs by early leaders of the Catholic Church around the forth century by commuting the tithe to money as a law both civic and religious.

The New Testament church of the book of Acts did not tithe but shared and took care of each other.

Because the Temple still stood in the Book of Acts, the official tithe (Maaser) would have still been going to the Jewish Temple and the Levites, not to the leaders of the people of the way.

Because Paul and the Apostles were not Levites and that Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin he and the others could not accept or ask for a tithe because it would have been considered that he was stealing the inheritance of the Levites which God said belonged to them only.

Paul Jewish background forbids him to profit from the TORAH but he had to work throughout his ministry and he accepted support from caring believers not tithes.This blog’s purpose is to spur believers to study how to give. The truth about money, tithing and everything else in the Bible is only hidden from those who don’t hunger or thirst for truth. So study to show yourself approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth. Money will always be a point of contention in the church and shall always be unless the truth comes out.Give According To Paul’s Instructions: As a man purposeth [deciding in your own mind] in his heart give cheerfully not grudgingly, not of necessity according to what one has, not according to what one does not have ( II Cor. 8:12 and 9:7).

There are many other instances of money references in the Bible, but none of them say money is required as a tithe.

Take Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway on a email book blog tour. Get a copy of the Blog Tour below and help me celebrate the one year anniversary of Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway by sending my book on an email Book Blog Tour with your email network of friends or however your choose. Go to the link

Every since I published my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing Anyway some people question that I wrote the book to so discord among believers and to create financial havoc in churches. I can say for sure that is not the intention at all. In fact, it was my desire for truth that drove me to study and seek information about tithing money to the institutional church. That fact that monetary tithing has been around for centuries, it is clear from my studies that the practice has never been accepted 100 percent by academic scholars, theologains and bibical experts. There has never been a consensus about the way tithing is taught accept for those who have a monetary vested interest in maintaining the currect system that is contextually inaccuate with the scripture both hermanutically and exegetically.

In this post, I felt that it was necessary to share what many authors wrote about tithing by providing excerpts from their books that address what they have discovered about tithing. If you read this entire post, you will see that my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’ Really Robbing God Anyway is not as far fetched as some suppose. The reality is, pastors don’t want to deal with the truth on this subject because they have sunk their entire financial future into a doctrine to ensure a certain lifestyle remains intact. And whatever means to ensure that system never gets disrupted, methods are employed to dispense of anyone who threatens the modern monetary tithe system. Anyone who tries to follow the money will be dealt with Al Capone style.

After reading the various authors, you must make the decision about whether or not tithing money or food is described in the Bible. Now some may say I’m biased because I posted only authors who are against tithing. That may be true, but there are many books, sermons, and pastors who have supported tithing for years and so it is clear in church academia what they believe, but many who disagree with tithing have been gagged by excommunication and have been ridiculed as quacks or demons. The way to misdirect the religious masses is to create a counter-arugment that discredits the person who disagrees with the popular doctrine. Whe I finally came forward with my decision to resign from tithing, it was not received by my church leadership. Then I was immediately considered a financial threat to the church.

Daniel White is Reading Kleptomaniac

The first author, Michael Burman makes it clear what tithing is in Iron Sharpens Iron on page 18-19.

What Did Israel Tithe On?

Note carefully the following passage of Scripture: “And all the tithe of the land, whether the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S. It is holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30).

A tithe of the land refers to a tenth of the agricultural produce reaped by ancient Israel as a blessing for their obedience to GOD. The Bible never mentions tithing on anything other than the produce of the land.

The following scriptures clearly support this biblical fact:

“Moreover He commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the fruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their GOD they laid up in heaps” (2 Chronicles 31:4–6).

“And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of the trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD; to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our [GOD], to the priests who minister in the house of our [GOD]; to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our [GOD]; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities” (Nehemiah 10:35–37).

The second author Greame Carle’ makes it clear the misinterpretation tithing in Eating Sacred Cows on page 30 and 33.

Those who want christians to tithe becasue Jesus encouraged the Pharisees to do so, do they also want Christans to offer animal sacrifices because Jesus commanded the leper to do so? If not, why not? This offering of lambs and birds by cleansed lepers is certainly not now necessary, but equally certainly was until Jesus died on the cross, He said, “Whever…annuls one of the least of these commandmants (of the Law) , and so teaches other, shall be called least in the Kingdom…” because and the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, Until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18-19) So these passages , although they are recorded in what we call the New Testament, are not yet teaching the New Covenant but rather are more carefully explaining the demands of the Old Coveant. I have heard Dr. Derek Prince state that he is afaid not to tithe because he didn’t want to receive the curse. He may have since changed his position on this without my hearing about it, but his his word then illustrated this well; a wonderful Christian teacher thinking that non-tithing will bring a curse. Christians are not blessed or cursed on the bases of tithing or not? On the contrary, placing ourselves under the law, even the law of tithing, will bring us under a curse. Gal 3:20.

The reality is the tithe in Matthew is for those boud to the demands of the ordinances of the Law and so believers are not bound to the tithe law under grace.

The third author Michael Morrison makes it clear that tithing is not required in Sabbath, Circumcision and Tithing on page 162.

The only other New Testament mention of tithing is in Hebrews. The fact that Abraham was blessed by and paid tithes to Melchizedek illustrates the superiority of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:1-10). The passage then goes on to note that “when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law” (verse 12). There was a change of the priesthood from the Levites to Jesus Christ, and this implies a change in the law that assigned the Levites to be priests. How much has been changed? Hebrews says that the old covenant is obsolete. The package of laws that commanded tithes to be given to the Levites is obsolete.

The forth author Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D. makes it clear the Biblical difinition of tithing in Should The Church Teach Tithing on pages 11-12.

Anchor Bible Dictionary, ‘tithe,’ C. Early Judaism and Christianity, says, “Whereas in the OT tithes apply to specific agricultural products, rabbinic and patristic exegesis tends to include all agricultural products, and eventually [much later] all forms of income as subject to the tithe.”

Alfred Edersheim: “And it is remarkable, that the Law seems to regard Israel as intended to be only an agricultural people—no contribution being provided for from trade or merchandise.”8
Fausset’s Bible Dictionary: “The tithe of all produce as also of flocks and cattle belonged to Jehovah.”

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: “The law of Moses prescribed tithing in some detail. Leviticus 27:30-32 stated that the tithe of the land would include the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree. In addition the Hebrew people were required to set apart every tenth animal of their herds and flocks to the Lord…. Nowhere does the New Covenant expressly command Christians to tithe …”

The New Catholic Encyclopedia: “In the Deuteronomic Code the tithe is limited to grain, wine, and oil (Deut. 12:6, 11, 17; 14:22). These texts more or less equate the tithe with other ritual offerings and sacrifices.”

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The tenth of all produce, flocks, and cattle was declared to be sacred to Jehovah by way, so to speak, of rent to Him who was, strictly speaking, the Owner of the land, and in return for the produce of the ground…. Although the law did not specify the various fruits of the field and of the trees that were to be tithed, the Mishnah (Maaseroth 1.1) includes ‘everything eatable, everything that was stored up or that grew out of the earth….’”

The fifth author R.S Rood makes it clear what God Required as a tithe in Time-Honored Error on pages 27-28.

What concerns us here is whether or not tithing ordinances established for the theocratic government of Israel are applicable to Christians today.

Having been led out of captivity by God under the leadership of Moses, the ever-rebellious Israelites were forced to endure forty years of wilderness wanderings before being allowed to begin to take possession of the land promised to their forefathers. It was during this period that the Mosaic Law was established, including the tithing ordinances that would apply upon possession of the land. It is important to note that while ordinances concerning the many types of sacrifices and offerings applied during the years in the wilderness, tithing was not applicable until the tribes had come into their inheritance.

Now is the time to discover what tithing meant to the nation of Israel, and why what is erroneously called tithing today does not resemble it in any manner, shape or form. Tithes were strictly in the form of produce from the field and animals from the flocks and herds. They were not in the form of currency, although tithes of produce could be redeemed for money by adding a fifth of the value to them (Lev. 27:30-34). Some modern day tithing advocates argue that money was not available during these times, but nothing can be further from the truth. Metal, not necessarily or always in the form of coin, was readily available throughout the region, and used on a regular basis for many transactions as described in historical texts and from the Bible itself, including offerings, redemption money and various taxes.

Only producers of agricultural products were required to tithe, naturally, since the tithes were gathered from these resources. A large landowner would tithe, but his hired servants did not. The poor were exempt from tithing. Craftsmen and those of other occupations did not tithe, since they did not produce agricultural products. This fact alone is a heavy blow to proponents of tithing today, since it makes it clear that Jesus and his father Joseph, being carpenters, did not tithe.

The sixth author Leonard C. Bupanda makes it clear that grace is not associated with tithing in The Tithe Deliemma Triumphs of Love in ibooks on pages 63-64.

“As a matter of fact, the Bible has clearly revealed that the Father, just like the Son, has not been associated with the tithe. Even where other commandments are referred to or revisited in Matthew Chapter Five, the tithe is left out. My critical conclusion is that the tithe is not linked to the work of faith for the simple reason that it belonged to the era of Levitical ordinances, of which it was part. Therefore, it does not fit in the environment of absolute love and grace of God our Father.”

The seventh author Edgar J. Goodspeed (1871- 1962) makes it clear that Paul worked for living and never depended on tithes from congreations in Paul on ibooks, pages 88-89.

After this very Jewish doctrinal correction of the Thessalonian view, Paul proceeds to deal with the practical side of the situation. The church is no place for idlers. His own well-known practice of supporting himself by working at his trade shows what he believes on that subject. The idlers are to return to work, and cease to be dependent on their brethren. He has already told the Thessalonians that a man who will not work must have nothing to eat. But now he goes farther. Anyone who still persists in idleness and dependence on others is to be dropped from the society of Christian people, until he learns to bear his part in the common work of life. Read II Thess. 3:6-15. Excerpt From: Goodspeed, Edgar J. (Edgar Johnson), 1871-1962. “Paul.” iBooks.

In this excerpt is clear Pual never endorsed tithing but preferred to work and not depend on believers for charity or to make the congregation his financial supplier.

The eighth author unknown makes it clear that tithing was eatible and not food in New Testament Truth On Old Testament Tithing on pages 17-18.

These passages of scripture teach the following truths concerning the tithe:

A general tithe was to be paid on all Israel’s agricultural and livestock production to the Levites by landowners. Non-agricultural products weren‘t tithed. (Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 26: 1-10; Nehemiah 10:37; Hebrews 7:4-5)

Each year 10%(tithe) of all Israel’s agricultural and livestock production was to be taken to the location chosen by the Lord for his sanctuary. They would eat from it before the Lord at the national festival. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 14:22-23)

If the location of the sanctuary was too far for a person to travel to, or they were unable to transport the tithe, they could exchange their tithe for money. With the money gained from this exchange, at the sanctuary they could buy whatever their soul desired to eat before the Lord at the national festival. (Deuteronomy 14:24-26)

The Levites were to take the tithe from the Israelites. They received what was left from the tithe after the Israelites ate their portion at the national festival. (Numbers 18:21-32)

The Levites were to take a “tithe of the tithe” (10%ofthe10%) received from the Israelites and give it to the priest. The priest was to offer itas a heave offering to the Lord. (Numbers 18:8, 26-32; Nehemiah 10:37-39)

Every third year was the year of tithing.The tithe was reserved at home this ear instead of being taken to the temple. The tithe from the produce of that year was to be gathered and stored in the cities for distribution to the Levites and the needy in the city: strangers, orphans and widows. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29, 26:12; Nehemiah 13:10-13)

The ninth author Thabani Maphosa makes it clear that tithing ended in The Malachi Bomb.

The reason why Christians do not pay temple tax is because the system which the temple tax served, namely the system of sacrifices in the temple, was brought to an end at the death of Jesus. It is for the same reason that Christians no longer need to tithe. Tithes were necessary for the earthly system of sacrifices to function. The levitical system of sacrifices, along with the earthly temple, temple taxes and tithes came to an abrupt end at the cross (Matt 27: 51; Heb 10: 19, 20). Money for the temple was given as freewill offerings and taken from a self-imposed annual fee of a third of a shekel. Money for the temple was not taken from tithes because tithes were food for the Levites. “Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;” Neh 10: 32 Maphosa, Thabani. Defusing The Malachi Bomb: The Old Covenant Tithe Versus New Covenant Giving (Kindle Locations 2753-2756). Kindle Edition. Maphosa, Thabani. Defusing The Malachi Bomb: The Old Covenant Tithe Versus New Covenant Giving (Kindle Locations 745-749). Kindle Edition.

The tenth author Bryon Shorter makes it clear what New Testmant giving is in Unmasking Traditional Untruths About Tithing. Is it a Mandate or Model?

Now verse seven is revealing, for Paul said, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart.” He did not say, “Let each one give a tithe as God has commanded.” No, he said, “let each one give as he purposes in his heart.” The words “he purposes” is translated from the Greek word “proaireo” which means, “to choose before, or to resolve before, that is, in one’s heart.” The text also says, “Not grudgingly,” literally, “not of grief.” The Greek word is “Lupe” which means, “a state of unhappiness marked by regret as a result of what has been done.” Thus, we should not give and regret and grieve about it afterwards. Next Paul says “nor of necessity.” This word is amazingly supportive of “Grace Giving,” translated from the Greek word “anagke” which means “an obligation of a compelling nature, complete obligation, or necessary obligation.” Therefore, Christian giving should not stem from some compelling obligation [to tithe], but from a cheerful heart. Hence, the text says “for God loves a cheerful giver” [not a cheeful tither]. This word “cheerful” is derived from the Greek word “hilaros” meaning “a happy, glad, or cheerful state of mind.”79 Happy Giving!

The eleventh author The Anonymous Preacher makes it clear the difference between tithing and money in No, You DON’T Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That You Do NOT Have To Give 10% of Your Money To Your Church

I’m going to make a statement that, although it may surprise you, is absolutely true: Everyone in the Bible from at least Abraham onward had money, but no one in the Bible tithed on their money. How can we be required to do something that no one in the Bible did? I could end this book right here…but I won’t, since it will be helpful for you to learn more detail on this subject. Here is another statement that may surprise you: Nowhere in the Bible does God command anyone to give Him 10 percent of their money. You will not find a single place in the Bible where God commanded anyone (much less all His people) to give Him 10 percent of their finances. Friends, the modern teaching on the “tithe” (that says every Christian must give 10 percent of their money to the church) is a lie. No one in the Bible did what modern tithe preachers tell people they are required to do.

Now let’s apply that to the most popularly preached “tithing” verse, Malachi 3:10. In this verse, God was rebuking the Israelites for neglecting to do something He had told them to do in the Old Testament Law of Moses. What command of God in the Law of Moses had the Israelites neglected? They had neglected to “bring the tithe”. The key here is to understand what “bring the tithe” means according to the Bible. Who was supposed to “bring the tithe”? Was it every Israelite? (Sneak preview: The answer is no.) And for those who were supposed to bring the tithe, what were they supposed to bring? Was it money? (Sneak preview: The answer is no. And yes, the Bible makes it clear the Israelites did have money – but God didn’t ask for it.)

Again, nowhere in the entire Bible will you find God asking anyone to bring 10 percent of their money to Him or to the church. With Malachi 3:10, many preachers are just making a common mistake that many people make when interpreting the Bible, which is reading one verse and taking it completely out of context, making it mean whatever you want it to mean without defining the terms Biblically. So what does the word “tithe” mean in Malachi 3:10 – according to the Bible? The short answer is this: As part of the Law of Moses system in the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelite farmers and ranchers to bring the tenth portion of their crops and livestock to where the Levites lived. So the word “tithe” does mean “10 percent”, but it does not mean “10 percent of every paycheck every modern Christian receives”. It means “the 10th portion of every ancient Israelite farmer or rancher’s crops and livestock”. By the way, under the Law of Moses system, if you only had nine sheep, you didn’t tithe. The tithe was the tenth portion of the livestock, not the first. It’s amazing how many misconceptions have come into this “tithing” doctrine that has been invented by men. The key thing to understand here is that the tithe had nothing to do with money. God’s people back then had money, but God didn’t ask for it.

We know they had money back then because in Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17 God put a little provision in His “crops/livestock tithe instructions” that mentioned money. The provision was this: If a farmer or rancher lived very far away from where the Levites were, instead of dragging the 10th part of his crops or livestock all that distance, he was allowed to sell his crops or livestock for money, and then take the money to where the Levites were. Other verses in the Bible talk about the money the Israelites had, such as Deuteronomy 23:19 where God commanded them not to charge a fellow Israelite interest on money: “You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.” So because of these Bible passages, we know they had money. But they didn’t tithe money. These passages also tell us something very important: the Israelites did not consider food/crops/livestock to be their version of money. I know this is a simple concept, but the reason I mention it is that tithing preachers will often act as if when the Israelites tithed their crops and livestock, they were tithing their version of money. This is simply not true. Food was not their version of money. Crops and livestock were not their version of money. They had money, just like you and I have money. But they didn’t tithe it.

No, You DON’T Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That You Do NOT Have To Give 10% of Your Money To Your Church (Kindle Locations 126-137, 114-126, 108-114, 91-101).

The twelveth author E.B Reynolds gives an undisputed Jewish argument that tithing is not money in Tithing and Christianity.

There are many different opinions about the tithe. Some churches expect their members to pay one tithe, while others teach two and three tithes. Some want the tithe before taxes others after taxes. How many and when tithes are to be paid is not really the objective here. Rather it is to see if the tithe is or has ever been mandatory to the Christians. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:1-2 that the Jews have advantage over us because unto them were committed the oracles of God. That being the case the writings of the one Jewish sage who has been called by many “the second Moses” has been consulted. Moses Ben Maimon is considered by many to be the greatest Jewish thinker, Talmudist and codifier of the Law (Mishneh Torah) during the Middle Ages. In 1180 Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides and also as Rambam, finished the Mishneh Torah which took him about 10 years to write. Maimonides was born in Cordova, Spain in the year 1135. After the death of his father and of his brother David, he dedicated himself to the practice of medicine to support himself and the family of his brother as he believed that it was incorrect to make a living teaching Torah. The Mishneh Torah is divided into different chapters. Under the title “Matnot Aniyiim”13 (Law about giving to the poor) there are 10 chapters and each one has several rules called “halacha”. Chapter six, for example, has 17 rules or divisions. Halacha one explains that the product from the land that is given to the poor is called the tithe of the poor. In Halacha two Maimonides explains that after the offering of the first fruits is given to the priests, which consist of the first of the grain, wine and oil (Deuteronomy 18:4), the owner of the field separates one tenth of the remainder. This constitutes the first tithe and is given to the Levites. From the remainder (Halacha three) he separates another tenth which is called the second tithe. This belongs to the owners of the fields and is to be eaten in Jerusalem. This second tithe (Halacha four) is separated in the first, second, fourth and fifth years, but in the third and sixth year (after the first tithe has been separated) it was given to the Levite, the widow and the orphan. This is the tithe that was kept within the cities, as was mentioned before and was known as the tithe of the poor or the tithe of the third year (Deuteronomy 14:27-29). The Levite in turn had to separate a tenth of the tithe he received and give it to the Priests. Under the title Terumot (offerings) chapter one, Halacha one, we read that the obligation to set apart the terumot and the tithes applies only in Eretz Israel, (the Land of Israel). Halacha 11 is very reveling. In it we read that the produce grown in Eretz Israel, belonging to a Gentile who was involved in all the work, was exempt. The reasoning behind this is found in Deuteronomy 18:4 which clearly states your grain meaning, of course, the grain of a Jew, not of a Gentile. If a Jew is working for a Gentile in Syria, for example, he does not have to tithe because he does not own the land (Halacha 17).

The thirteenth author John Lilly gives analysis of why tithing in not money in Why You Don’t Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That Tithing Is Not An “Eternal Principle” and You Are Not Required To Do It.

The Pharisees Tithed Spices, Not Money

The only time Jesus referred to tithing was when He was rebuking the Pharisees because they tithed on their little garden spices but didn’t really help anybody out in life. Jesus said in Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” Notice, what were they tithing on? Agricultural products. “Mint and dill and cumin”. Not money. We know the Pharisees had money, because the Bible says they were lovers of money! But yet they didn’t tithe on their money! They tithed on their garden spices! Why? Because the tithe commands of the Law of Moses had nothing to do with money. Why were the Pharisees tithing their spices? Because tithing of agricultural products by those who grew them was a “provision of the law” – it was commanded in the Law of Moses. See, the Pharisees tried to appear religious outwardly by keeping details of the Law of Moses, and in this case they were being nitpicky about it to the point where they brought a tithe of the spices they grew in their backyard in order to obey God’s tithing law for farmers and ranchers in the Law of Moses. Jesus told them, “This you should do” (because they were supposed to be spiritual leaders and examples to the people in obeying the Law of Moses), but then rebuked them for neglecting the weightier matters of the law (like actually loving and helping people). Now, I’ve heard preachers say that Jesus’ statement, “This you should do” (in reference to the Pharisees tithing from their little spice gardens), proves that Jesus wants us all to give 10 percent of our every paycheck in the offering plate. The problem is, the Pharisees didn’t give 10 percent of their money in the offering plate. They brought 10 percent of their spices. Their money was sitting in their house under the bed.

Modern preachers use those phrases figuratively, trying to turn God’s reference to literal food in the Law of Moses into “spiritual food”, etc. That seems a natural thing to do – especially to us today who have repeatedly heard erroneous preaching on the subject. But the problem is, God did not speak through the prophet Malachi figuratively. There is absolutely no indication anywhere in Scripture that when God used the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10, that He suddenly and magically changed the definition of these words from literal food to “figurative or spiritual food”. There is no evidence in Scripture that God suddenly changed the meaning of the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10 from a literal meaning to a figurative meaning. In fact, in verse 7 God directly referred to His specific “ordinances” (commands) in the Law of Moses, which all had to do with tithing literal agricultural products, literal food and literal storehouses for the food. So the immediate context of Malachi 3:10 forces to conclude that when God used the words “tithe”, “food”, and “storehouse” in Malachi 3:10 in talking to the Israelites, He meant the exact same thing He had meant every other time He used it in the Bible when talking to them – “farmers and ranchers (not every Israelite) living under the Mosaic law, tithing the 10th part of their agricultural products according to certain specific instructions that sometimes did not include giving it to the Levites.

Lilley, John. Why You Don’t Have To Tithe: Undeniable Biblical Proof That Tithing Is Not An “Eternal Principle” and You Are Not Required To Do It (Kindle Locations 239-250 and 257-274). Panta Press. Kindle Edition.

The fourteenth author John Kelly seattles the argument that tithing was not paid on income but on eatible items in The Other Law of Moses.

The Levites did not pay a tithe. As I opined earlier in the chapter, the Levites had town occupations, supplying the agricultural economy with valuable finished goods and services. They were paid for these goods and services. Yet there is never a mention, or even an inference that a tenth of these things or of their remuneration were to be given over to God. The Scripture states that the Levites’ tithe exemption derived from the fact that they received no inheritance in land, not because they were without income (Num. 18:20-32). Income was not inherited from God; income came from the work done by the individual. That work belonged to the individual. The land belonged to God and the tithe came from the land. If a non-Levite family was engaged in an additional commercial endeavor, say a grandmother hired out as a seamstress, or children picked the weeds out of a neighbor’s fields for a small wage, a tithe was not demanded in Scripture from these additional family earnings. If Papa is a superior wood carver and contracts with others to make carvings for pay, none of the pay is tithed. The tithe was strictly a contract between the landowner, God, and the lessee, the possessor family, for the use of the land.

Kelly, John. The Other Law of Moses (Kindle Locations 615-625). John L. Kelly. Kindle Edition.

The fithteenth author Mash Udenula surmises what tithes or first fruits could never be money in The Modern Teachings On Tithes,Offerings and First Fruits.

I have not exhaustively quoted every word Moses uttered concerning tithes, first fruits and offerings, but having had read exhaustively, this is what I conclude from the scriptures: 1. There were various types of offerings (The grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, trespass offering, offering with restitution), but all offerings were presented to God by burning a portion as a sweet smelling aroma to God. In this sense, the offerings were indeed, literally, offered to God. What I am implying here is that, the modern offering and tithing are questionable as to whether the giver gives to God, to man or an institution. 2. Though money was in existence during the introduction of the Mosaic laws relating to offerings, tithes and first fruits, God specifically identified what was to be offered. It was animals and farm produce. Tithe was not in the form of money. 3. Tithe related to a tenth of all farm produce and animals, and it did not matter the state of the tenth-whether bad or good. It just had to be the tenth as per God’s instructions. 4. All the males that were born first of men and animals were dedicated to God. The cows, sheep and goats were actually sacrificed to God (a portion was burnt before God), while man’s first born male was to be redeemed and replaced with an animal. Of course this is one principle you can never apply today owing to the fact that money has no gender! 5. The first fruits only related to a very insignificant portion of the first harvest from the ground. This portion could not even be 1% of your usual entire harvest. Try to ascertain what percentage of a one hectors’ crop production a basket full harvest will be, and you will agree with me! A sheaf of wheat cannot even produce a loaf of bread, by the way! 6. I could have gotten it wrong, but the times I have heard first fruits being taught, I get the impression that first fruits and first born, are in principle, the same thing. The scriptures however, make a clear distinction of what these two represented. They are totally two different things with two different underlining principles. 7. By nature of what tithes and first fruits were, It would be practically impossible for someone who did not own a farm or animals to give tithes and first fruits. Meaning an individual who worked for someone and earned wages (whether in money terms or in kind) but did not own his own production could not tithe or offer first fruits.

Udenula, Mash. The Modern Teachings On Tithes,Offerings and First Fruits (Kindle Locations 1065-1105). Kindle Edition.

The sixteenth author Cynthia McClaskey seattles the argument that tithes were food items brought to the temple not money in The Truth About Tithing.

The Israelites did not just take their tithes and offerings to the temple and “drop them off”. THEY and their HOUSEHOLDS partook in all that they brought, as well as the portion of their offerings “reserved from the fire” for the Levites, as God commanded. The only offerings they did not partake in were the redemption monies and things devoted. These belonged to the priest performing the ritual. The tithe, in reality, was a yearly celebration at the Temple. Jews traveled from all over the known world to partake in this huge celebration. As you will see from the following verses of scripture, those who had to travel great distances were allowed to sell their crops for money and then buy whatever they wanted when they arrived in the city where the celebration was being held. Also notice that alcohol was allowed to be consumed before the Lord during this celebration. If drinking alcohol is a sin, as some churches teach, then why does GOD allow consumption of wine and strong alcohol in the Temple during this celebration? Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the TITHE of thy CORN, or of the WINE, or of thy OIL, or the firstlings of thy HERDS or of thy FLOCK, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thy hand: But thou MUST eat them (tithes and offerings) before the LORD thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, THOU, and THY SON, and THY DAUGHTER, and THY MANSERVANT, and THY MAIDSERVANT, and the LEVITE that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto (Deuteronomy 12:17-18). Thou shalt truly TITHE all the increase of thy SEED, that the FIELD bringeth forth year by year. And THOU (the children of Israel) shalt EAT before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the TITHE of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks: that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou are not able to carry it (again, we are talking about crops, wine, oil, herds and flocks); or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: THEN shalt thou turn it into money (sell it), and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God SHALL CHOOSE: And thou shalt bestow that money for WHATSOEVER THY SOUL LUSTETH AFTER, for OXEN, or for SHEEP, or for WINE, or for STRONG DRINK (The Hebrew word here means intensely alcoholic liquor), or for WHATSOEVER THY SOUL DESIRETH: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, THOU and THINE HOUSEHOLD. (Deuteronomy 12: 22-26). There are several very important things that need to be pointed out from these passages: 1. God had to choose the place for the tithe celebration. 2. The whole family, along with servants, partook in the tithes. 3. The Levites partook in the tithes. 4. Alcohol was consumed in the Temple during this celebration. 5. This was an ANNUAL celebration. Basically, everyone went to the Temple to celebrate the goodness of God in their lives. THIS is what the tithe celebration was all about. There was absolutely no way the foreign Jews could travel every week to the Temple to pay tithes; this would create financial hardship for the entire family! Nowhere in scripture does it state that tithes are money. Nowhere in scripture does God command the Jews to leave their tithes at the Temple. Nowhere in scripture does God command that the Levites receive 100% of the tithes taken to the Temple. Nowhere in scripture does God tell us that he has chosen to place his name in thousands of church institutions for a tithe celebration each and every week! The families of those who tithed all partook of the tithes and offerings during this celebration.

The seventeenth author M. D. Ewing presents a clear arguemnt how tithing can me misintermpreted as money instead of food items, in The Emancipation of Tithing: Discovering Your Freedom From Financial Slavery

The most important lesson for properly interpreting the Bible and the Scriptures relating to each passage is based on how well we understand the surrounding context of the story being portrayed. Do we understand all the facts in each passage? Do we understand the context before and after each passage? Have we biblically defined the meanings of all the words surrounding each passage? How well do we understand the general flow of discussion? Do we have an indication of the cultural background at hand? What did the author mean in the day that he/she wrote the passage? It is imperative that we clear up all the factual problems before moving into the theological meaning of any passage of Scripture. It is also important to visualize yourself as a participant in the crowd of the original audience in order to understand the authenticity of the original message. There are two terms that are always used when practicing the art of hermeneutics. The first term is known as, “eisegesis” (ice-sa-ge-sis), which means to read your own meaning into a passage. Interpreting the Bible correctly begins with a great deal of prayer, learning how to pay attention to what the text itself is saying, and then pulling the meaning out of each passage. This term is called, “exegesis” (ex-sa-ge-sis), which means to draw out from. We must allow each passage to be defined by what is actually in the text of Scriptures, supported by the surrounding verses of the text, if we intend on interpreting the Bible in context and in a correct manner. We can no longer put into a passage of Scripture our own meanings and interpretations about a particular subject when that subject is not listed or included in the passage at hand. This is called “bias demeanor” and “subjectivity,” which is the framework of silent manipulation and control. For example, if I said, “Farmers sow seeds in the ground to bring up a harvest,” this text should NOT be interpreted as, “People should give me money in order to gain possessions.” This is a primary example of bias demeanor and subjectivity. As the author of that statement, I literally meant what I stated, that farmers who plant seeds in the ground will grow a harvest. As you see, my original message can easily be misinterpreted if the meanings of all the words surrounding the context are misunderstood, and if the meaning of the original writer is misunderstood then the true meaning behind the story could be lost forever.

The eighteenth author Daniel Mynyk seattles the argument about Abram’s tithe spoils of war and not income in Freedom To Give (The Biblical Truth About Tithing).

The nature of Abram’s tithe Several questions and issues can arise for one who examines the account of Abram’s tithe in detail without merely viewing the presence of the word tithe through the lens of modern tradition. Reading the details of this account, one can notice several problems with an attempt to extrapolate Abram’s tithe to one’s current understanding of the alleged tithing doctrine. These problems shall be analyzed using Abram’s tithe as the “tithe that binds.” First, how many times do the Scriptures record Abram giving something in the form of a “tithe”? Genesis chapter 14 and Hebrews chapter 7 are the only accounts of Abram’s tithe, and they are both of the same event. As far as we know Abram only tithed to Melchizedek once. Accordingly, we can then notice that Abram only tithed to anyone once. A legitimate question protrudes from examining this problem: How does Abram’s one-time tithe to Melchizedek argue a case whereby those who claim him as a “father” must tithe not only once but continually? Read chapter 15 of this book to analyze a possible significance between the priesthood of Melchizedek and the fact that Abram tithed only once. Second, of what source did Abram tithe? Did Abram tithe of his own “income”? One author claimed: “It is a disputed point whether Abraham meant a tithe of all his property, or of all the spoils of war which he had with him.”[26] Although Genesis 14:20 says that Abram gave Melchizedek “tithes of all” and Hebrews 7:2 says that Abram gave “a tenth part of all,” Hebrews 7:4 clarifies that he gave “the tenth of the spoils.” One could argue that the “tithe of spoils” was only part of what Abram gave Melchizedek in the “tithes of all.” However, this reasoning fails both logic and Scriptural analysis. Obviously the “all” can mean “all the spoils of the battle.” The context of Abram’s tithe is directly within the context of winning the battle, returning the spoils, and the king of Sodom requesting a return of his people. Abram gave Melchizedek the tithe after returning from chasing the alliance of Chedorlaomer to Hobah. Abram met both Melchizedek and the king of Sodom in a place called “the valley of Shaveh,” which likely belonged to the king of Sodom. Abram was not in his own home when he gave Melchizedek the tithe. It would defy logic and be to argue from silence to believe that Abram brought all his many possessions with him to battle. Abram did not have all his possessions with him. He tithed to Melchizedek of the spoils of the battle as Hebrews 7:4 makes clear. If, indeed, Abram tithed only of the spoils of war to Melchizedek—things that were stolen from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah—and not from his own possessions, how does Abram’s tithe in this regard present an obligation to those who claim him as “father” to tithe of their own “income”? Third, of what type of substance did Abram tithe? Did Abram tithe only of money? Did Abram tithe of money at all? Likely, Abram’s tithe included money, but was not limited to money. Genesis 14:11 says that the alliance of Chedorlaomer took all the “good” and “victual” from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. The “goods” may have included money, but likely also included clothing and weapons. The “victuals” strictly means “food.” The alliance stole the food that these kings brought with them to sustain themselves for the battle. In verse 21, the king of Sodom granted Abram to keep the “goods” but requested to return the people. In verse 23, Abram replied that he would not keep a “thread” to a “shoelatchet,” which both indicate small portions of clothing. In verse 24, Abram also qualified that he could not return food that his men had already eaten or would need to compensate them for their efforts. If Abram’s tithe consisted mostly of material things and food, why do many who attempt to regard Abram’s tithe as a model for continual practice for the church dictate that the people only tithe from sources of monetary income or comparable liquidity? Fourth, what did Abram do with the rest of the spoils after he tithed of them to Melchizedek? Genesis 14:21-24 distinctly records that Abram returned the remnant of the spoils back to the king of Sodom.

The nineteenth author Ron Knott gives 27 reason for why tithing is not money in the Bible Tithing-Fact or Fiction.

In starting our search through the Scriptures for the truth concerning tithing let us consider the following Situational awareness statements. Further into the study we will address each one of these statements. TWENTY-SEVEN REASONS OR CONSIDERATIONS FOR NOT TITHING 1. There was no command to tithe before or after the Law. 2. Did Adam and Eve, Job, Noah, or Joseph tithe? 3. Why did God reject Cain’s gift? 4. Tithing is not commanded in the Ten Commandments. 5. The tithe was never money; it was always agricultural products. 6. Tithes are to be eaten. 7. Tithes are to go into the storehouse. 8. Under the Law one could redeem his tithes. 9. Only a tenth of the tithe went to the priest. 10. Every three years the tithe went to the need. 11. Every seven years there was no tithe. 12. The people paid a tithe to themselves. 13. Tithes were for the Levites, widows, aliens, and fatherless. 14. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. 15. The Law tolerated many wives, concubines, sacrifices, and tithes. (The implication here is if we teach one of these practices – why not all?) 16. Who is robbing God of tithes and offerings? 17. Jesus did not tithe, nor did He accept tithes. 18. The New Testament Church did not tithe. 19. The New Testament command concerning giving: “Every man as he purposeth …” 2 Corinthians 9:7 20. Since the New Testament salvation plan is superior to the Old Testament salvation plan we can conclude that the New Testament giving plan is superior to the Old Testament giving plan. We have a better covenant with better promises. Which plan should we follow? 21. God honors acceptable gifts and rejects unacceptable gifts. 22. The Pope reinstated tithing at the Council of Macon in 585 AD. 23. Where do your tithes go? 24. Should we support the church and the ministry? Absolutely! But not by the Old Testament Law of tithing. 25. Present day priests, pastors, and preachers are not restricted from owning land, as were their counterparts in the Old Testament. 26. Why are not all who tithe wealthy? 27. Are you blessed financially for tithing or for giving to the poor? There are a lot more than twenty-seven reasons why New Testament Christians should not tithe but these should be sufficient for this study.

Knott, Ron. Tithing-Fact or Fiction (pp. 45-47). Kindle Edition.

The twentyeeth author Alvin J. Bates mences no words to proclaim that titing and first fruits is not monetary but food in Debunking The Tithe of Israel”: Warning: Ministers of the Gospel Read only at your own risk!

Next, let’s talk about giving under the Law of Moses. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: At the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty handed. Every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16:16 and 17 Now most preachers would jump up and say “that’s what I’m talking about!” Let’s take a closer examination of God’s word. The first command was to appear before the Lord their God to all three feasts. The second command was to give as he is able. Some men would have undoubtedly given much more than others. Some men whose hearts were not right with God would have given less. But the key phrase here in verse 17 is every man is to give as he is able. This means it is an offering from the heart and not some ritualistic giving of say “10 percent of everything they made.” Remember, the tithe was a forced saving up of food for the people to be used on the trip to Jerusalem and during the feasts of the Lord. The teaching of the tithe has been used to pile on guilt and force people to give 10 percent of their earnings to the church or God will “curse you” and yours with “the Curse” given for breaking the Law of Moses. The last time I checked the New Testament, Jesus had fulfilled the whole Law of Moses, and we now live under “Grace.” Uhm mm. If we are now living under grace, then how in the world can we likewise be living under the “Curse of the Law of Moses?” Yet that is exactly what nearly all preachers proclaim. This teaching is an untruth and should be stopped immediately! Fulfilled means “completed,” and still we visit all those old law scriptures when it comes to money yet stay in the new testament for nearly everything else—hypocrisy! Either we are living under the old law, or else we have been delivered out of the old law and now live under the Spirit of Grace whereby we cry “abba father.”

The modern teaching that our “firstfruits” is really our first 10 percent of every dollar we make is really, wrong. The firstfruits when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land was the first of all the produce that grew out of the ground and not “money made.” Why is it that today and for hundreds of years churches have claimed firstfruits as “money made,” even when 90 percent of all Christians were farmers all around the world just a few years ago, and farmers could give food! In old England, some churches used to build “tithe barns” on church property to hold their tithes. Whew! I guess they knew that the tithe was really food. Calling “the tithe” money is a total perversion of scripture, and to call money “a shadow” as to what God was saying to the children of Israel is “heresy.” For God to say one thing and for us to do another is a total and complete perversion of scripture. This is hypocrisy, pure and simple!

The twenty first author David A Croteau examines the tithe doctrine who paid and did not pay tithes in the scritptures in the Perspectives on Tithing.

Different scholars have different calculations. Regardless of the total, the tithe laws are clearly more complicated than a mere 10 percent; also, the Israelites were required to give more than 10 percent from the land. Nowhere is there a command to tithe from income.

Tithes were given from the increase of the land. The Mosaic law never directed the Israelites to give of their increase; it specified particular products that were liable to tithe laws, and these products were always connected to the land. There was a very strong connection of products liable to tithes to the land; originally, only products produced from Israel were included. In the New Testament period, artisans, fishermen, and tradesmen did not pay tithes on their income, and Jews outside Israel (those in the Diaspora) did not pay tithes on anything.9 Furthermore, priests and the poor (who owned no land or animals) were exempt from tithes.

The Mosaic law demands systematic tithing. Abram gave his tithe to Melchizedek (a priest), while the Mosaic law tithes were (mostly) for the Levites. Abram gave voluntarily and not from his own possessions; the Mosaic law tithe was compulsory and was on the increase of possessions connected to the land. Abram gave 10 percent to Melchizedek (though his gift was really 100 percent) and the Mosaic law tithe averages about 20 percent. Finally, there is no evidence that Abram was obeying some revelation from God prior to the Mosaic law. Numbers 31:27–29 says that the Israelites were to take one five-hundredths (0.2 percent) of the spoils of war and give it to the priest as an offering to Yahweh.10 Therefore, the stipulated amount required by the Mosaic law for spoils won in battle is significantly less than what Abram offered Melchizedek in Genesis 14.

The twenty second author C. L. Threatt explians in Malachi what the rain and devourer means in relation to tithing in The Tithes That Bind.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. KJV The devourer in question was pests that were destroying the products of the earth and the fruits of the trees. Some say today that our devourer is satan, because the Bible says he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). His job is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and what better way to do this than through our finances. The land was once plentiful, but the sin of not bringing the whole tithe caused it to be cursed. God was telling the Israelites that if they did as He commanded, the curse would be lifted, the windows of heaven would be opened, and pour out an abundant blessing. What were the windows of heaven? The windows of heaven as it relates to this scripture are the clouds and rain. In Genesis 7:11, the windows of heaven opened up to pour out a deluge of wrath during the flood of Noah. In Malachi, God promised to open the windows of heaven again, only this time, the rain would be a blessing rather than a curse. The land at that time was barren due to a lack of rain, and because their tithes were of an agricultural nature (grains and crops), they were suffering. God promised to pour out rain so that they would have so many crops that they wouldn’t have room for them.

The twenty Third author Eric M. Hill explians how some early church fathers were misinterpreted as it relates to tithing inWhat Preachers Never Tell You About Tithes & Offerings: The End of Clergy Manipulation & Extortion.

Bishop Cyprian of Carthage Bishop Cyprian (A.D. 200-258) represents those early church leaders who did not advocate the tithe, but who strongly believed the clergy should be involved in no worldly activities that would encroach on its ability to serve the church. Of course, this belief, noble as it was, was used in later years by others to create and demand a financial tithe. That’s one reason why we’re including it here. In 249 A.D. he explained that “every one honoured by the divine priesthood, and ordained in the clerical service, ought to serve only the altar and sacrifices, and to have leisure for prayers and supplications.” Cyprian’s letter uses the Levites as an example for ministers who are able to devote their full attention to the ministry of the church, which he considered to be prayers and supplications: …the Levitical tribe, which was left free for the temple and the altar, and for the divine ministries, received nothing from that portion of the division; [the allocation of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel once they crossed the Jordan river with Joshua] but while others cultivated the soil, that portion [the Levites] only cultivated the favour of God, and received the tithes from the eleven tribes, for their food and maintenance, from the fruits which grew. All which was done by divine authority and arrangement, so that they who waited on divine services might in no respect be called away, nor be compelled to consider or to transact secular business. Which plan and rule is now maintained in respect of the clergy, that they who are promoted by clerical ordination in the Church of the Lord may be called off in no respect from the divine administration, nor be tied down by worldly anxieties and matters; but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things. A careful reading of Cyprian’s short letter reveals that its subject is not the Old Testament tithe, the modern financial tithe, or even financial support of the clergy. It is the ideal of church sponsored clergy taking care of the church without distractions. Cyprian mentions the model of the Levites solely for this purpose, and not to encourage a financial tithe.

It is important to correct this error because Cyprian’s letter has been cited by many anti-tithers as his attempt to support the clergy with financial tithes. This mistake gives the appearance that there was a credible effort to introduce the new tithe system a hundred years before bishops began to do so. The sentence in Cyprian’s letter from where this idea comes doesn’t support this view: …but in the honour of the brethren who contribute, receiving as it were tenths of the fruits, they may not withdraw from the altars and sacrifices, but may serve day and night in heavenly and spiritual things. Cyprian states that the clergy was supported “by the brethren who contribute,” and that this was “as it were tenths of the fruits.” As it were is a simile, “a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared by the use of like or as.” The bishop was stating simply that freewill contributions given to support the clergy and tithes given to support Levites were similar in this manner: the object was to provide modest financial assistance so they could fulfill their leadership duties without distraction.36 It is significant that such a fervent and focused leader (and future martyr) should rely on freewill contributions to fulfill his clergy obligations instead of demanding money through a new tithe system. If it were possible for him, why is it not possible for us?

This short list of authors who disagree with tithing is by no means exhaustive, but in my research this list can go back centuries. Many people did not agree to the commuting of the food and crop tithe to money. I guess I’m not different in my view and so here is a quote from my book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

“There are varying beliefs and theological arguments on whether there were one, two, or three tithes in Israel. This chapter examines different tithing practices in Israel; importantly, it will not focus on the number of tithes. I will examine tithing based on its empirical definition, which is from the agricultural production and livestock that relates to farmers and herders who tithed in Israel using Leviticus 27:30-33. Individual study of the tithe doctrine in Israel and how many there were is essential for understanding the tithe practices of the Hebrew people. No matter what position you may have regarding the number of tithes, it is important to understand that the term “tithe” in Hebrew always refers to food; it never refers to money.
Based on the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), the view of multiple tithes is, “There is an obvious apparent discrepancy between the legislation in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It is harmonized in Jewish [Hebrew] tradition, not only theoretically, but in practice, by considering the tithes as three different tithes, which are named the first tithe, the second tithe and the poor tithe, which is called the third tithe.”

The article is titled, Single Mom Fined $1,000 by Church For Not Tithing–Threatens to Remove Her. After reading the article, I shook my head in disbelief and knew I had to write another blog post to address tithing. I guess I will be for the foreseeable furture continue to write tithing blogs until the monetary tithing madness ends. Let me make this clear as day, what you give to your church is your personal business. However no pastor has a right to take scripture out of context as a means to sustain a finanical system the Bible never endorses. So let’s take a magnifying glass to a scripture text to show that tithing in the Bible was not income but edible items. We know pastors love to quote Malachi but I will not start with that verse. You can get signed paperbacks, just order Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? from Paypalme for $23.87

Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? The Untwisted Truth About the Centuries Old Tithes and Offering Deception examines the history of church tithes, a practice from the early days of Christianity which takes a darker turn as its history and connections to actual Scripture are probed from its original applications to modern times. But if readers expect a supportive Scripture-based emphasis on the value of tithes, it should be advised that Kleptomaniac does not toe a party line of religious propriety but offers a sobering and critical examination of the notion of tithes and how it has changed over the centuries.

Church-goers who struggle with the idea of tithes and Church donation processes will discover that there’s reason for their concerns. There is an ongoing battle for truth and orthodoxy surrounding these matters, and this too is covered as Kleptomaniac analyzes the Biblical roots and intention of tithes and how the Church has applied them over the centuries.

This book is dedicated “To those who have suffered the wrath of family, friends, pastors, churches and other Christians for changing their giving practice from mandatory tithing to New Covenant, post-tithe freewill giving, remember, this fight to reveal the truth about tithing started centuries ago. People from many denominations and religious groups have held views against tithing long before we were born and the debate still rages on in the annals of theology.”

That tithing has long been a powerful controversy is reflected in the Introduction’s dedication: “To those who have been excommunicated from their church, to those who feel shunned, to those who have lost friends, to those who have been cut off from fellowship and to those who want to give from their heart without a percentage mandate, your voices will echo through the pages of this book. Also, to the believers from past generations who died never knowing that a curse on their lives never existed for not tithing, may this book be a light to your descendants who are still afraid to question tithing.”

Despite its fiery contentions, Kleptomaniac’s approach rests firmly on a combination of historical precedent, experience and analysis, and Scriptural quotes that back Dr. Frank Chase Jr.’s scrutiny. Chapters thus adopt a scholarly tone as they pull quotes from Scripture to analyze them: “I will examine the different tithes as separate items for context. The Bible gives specific instructions on how to distribute the tithe and to whom the tithe belonged. Who did God command to receive the tithe and who paid the tithe? Numbers 18, lays out the legal legislation on tithes under the law. However, before we look at this text, let’s jump forward to the New Testament. Hebrews 7:5 is the nail in the proverbial coffin that says who can collect tithes.”

From keywords and comparing Bible references to how tithes were (and are) being stolen from early to modern times, Dr. Chase’s scholarly analysis is precise, well detailed and reasoned, intricately researched and referenced, and yet is very accessible to lay audiences: “I think this book presents convincing doctrinal evidence that no money tithe argument can be established because it is inconsistent with Scripture, context and history. Although the Bible clearly describes that tithing took place in many verses, it does not mean that we continue the practice through commuting the tithe to money. The description of tithing food in the Old Testament does not equate to a money tithe prescription in the New Testament.”

Dr. Chase’s attention to detail in covering the history of tithing and his analysis of what constitutes an authentic tithe in keeping with God’ Biblical directives includes a great deal of research into early Greek and Hebrew writings, creating a weighty yet authoritative, accessible piece filled with empirical evidence and discussions central to the tithe’s place in Christian theology. Although its research-backed history is not light reading, its attention to well- researched detail is impeccably presented, and represents a breath of fresh air to a topic typically laden with more emotion than reasoned inspection.

In about 27 days, ladies and gentlemen, on June 1, the scholastic, theological manifesto on tithing will hit the publishing world by storm. If you judge this book, KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway? by its cover, you will miss an educational scriptural journey of a lifetime. Yes, this book concerns a subject that’s been talked about since the second century. Tithing and giving is a pre-occupation of most churches and believers but does the practice today look anything like the historical practice of the biblical people based on the land, language and literature of a bygone era? This book will take you on a fantastic theological, scriptural expedition into the tithing practices of the Hebrew/Israelite people to uncover the shocking truth about what tithing is and why what is called tithing today is a departure from the facts of the Scripture. You will be surprised what this book reveals about the tithe and who are the only people authorized to collect tithes. Here’s a sneak peek. Tithes or tithing is not money.

I guess one question is, why did I choose to name the book, KLEPTOMANIAC. Well, that’s a long story and I think it’s worth sharing with those of you who may choose this book for your library. For years, as I sat in church, I was exposed to a constant barrage of accusations that I was constantly robbing God of tithes and offerings according to Malachi 3:8-10. In many of the churches, I attended over the years, names such as God robbers, thieves, stingy givers and host of other belittling names from the pulpit pounded my conscience like a hammer. Being fed a steady diet that I somehow robbed God created fear in me. I felt like a spiritual prowler and cat burglar taking God’s money and if I did not pay my tithes, God would reign down calamity into my life and finances. For years, when financial turmoil happened in my life, I always attributed it to God vengeance against me because I missed paying Him as if he were a lone shark. And even though I gave into the claims that paying ten percent of my net income would bring blessings I would not have room enough to receive, I never felt comfortable about giving in to the strong persuasive voices from the pulpit. Around year five to six, in my last church, the call for a tenth of my gross income became the mantra from the pulpit. At first, I resisted the constant, Incendiary Explosive Doctrinal (IED) curses thrown at non-tithers, but the guilt of being a thieving good robber and my desire to see the overflowing blessing come into my house was just too powerful. So I coughed up the greenbacks. At that time, I really believed God would shower financial freedom into my bank account if I tithed on gross pay. The power of persuasive voices in my life at that time held such a grip on me that reason and logic were locked into suspended animation. Over and over again, I would hear testimonies from the pastor that as God blessed him with millions, he would stand at the back of the door of the church and hand out thousands to the congregation only if the members would bless the man of God. If we blessed him, then he would be able to call a financial blessing into our homes and finances. Money poured out of our home into the church to the turn of thousands, but there was no evidence of the financial abundance that I expected. One day, I asked earnestly asked God to show me the truth and the response I got was to study to show myself approved. In other words, Yahweh spoke right from the Bible what I should be doing.

Needless to say, tithing sermons hadn’t changed over the years. Then it happened out of the blue that after going to theology school, my desire to investigate financial tithing claims sent me to a Jewish rabbi and phone calls to Israel to seek answers. After reading the Rabbi’s giving study, I wept many tears and when I received the email response from Israel, I was shocked and amazed. Still not convinced by the Rabbi’s study or the email from Israel, I sought more information. Even though I knew in my heart what I read about tithing was correct, I was still too afraid to believe it. As I pondered these things in my heart, I started reading tithing articles on the web and looking at youtube videos. I kept reading but was still unsure if anything I researched was true. Then in the fall of October 2010, I read my first tithing book that shook the chains off my theological mind. The book that set me on a path to research was written by A. Bruce Wells.

While reading this book, it was like a power jackhammer began breaking through the doctrinal chains wrapped about my mind. A part of me rejoiced and another part of me feared what would happen if I believed what was in this book. But when I read this passage from the book, all I could do was through my hands up and shake off the broken chains. Wells wrote,

Christians are all hoping that God will someday send them a huge check for their faithfulness? But again, you must learn how to make money just as you can learn how to drive a car. Paul would have rebuked any preacher for teaching tithing as a way to access God’s provision, but most Christians think tithing is the most important commandment ever. There just seems to be a part of the fallen mentality of man that naturally gravitates toward legalism. There is no such pull when the mind is renewed to righteousness consciousness.

So, after reading this book many thoughts went through my mind about what I would do with this new found biblical information. So after many months of contemplation and traveling for my job, I kept reading articles, doing online research and read more tithing books. And each time I read a new book, I wept to God about what to do. I guess by now, you want to know why I gave the book this title. As I skip ahead in my story, I felt like I was pickpocketing God and hence the title Kleptomaniac. A klepto just can’t help but swipe things for themselves. It was as if I was born to be a God robber. Constant tithing sermons become more and more frightening as preachers told stories of calamity that would befall non-tithers. I guess over the 30 years I paid homage to the sacrificial tithe on the altars of Churchianity, it was all because I feared God would curse me. When I finally laid down all of my fear and apprehension about changing my belief in tithing, I took the first step to do a power point study. All of this happened after I had to leave my former church . Chapter one of my book discusses a little more of my personal story. I finally put together a 117-page power point study on tithing. Then I followed up with a 48-page power point study on New Testament Giving. However, in the midst of going back and forth on whether to write a book, I decided to end that study and being writing a full-fledged tithing theological book. Although I had to continue with more research, I was able to finish the book in about a year and a half. I pray this book enlightens believers in a way that brings knowledge and understanding on a neglected subject. For too many years, people have swallowed the tithe pill without reading the biblical instruction label. If you read this book, you will walk away knowing who the real KLEPTOMANIACS are.

Here’s a short excerpt from Chapter 1 called, My Story for Writing This Book.

I practiced the tax-deductible greenback tithing system for 30 years. A er extensive research on the subject and prayer, I discovered Christ never endorsed tithing as a command or a principal for New Testament/ New Covenant believers. When I peeled back the tithing onion in biblical and secular history, shock and dismay beat upon my theological head like a 2×4. When I regained consciousness, it was apparent Christ never endorsed money tithing as many modern preachers assert. The Savior followed 613 instructions of the Law and the only authentic stipulated tithing law He endorsed was the tithe the Bible emphatically claims are eatable items such as crops, cattle, herd, flocks and sheep.

Below are a couple of my first tithing videos I started doing before I ever thought about writing a book. From these initial videos, you will be able to tell how I progressed in the subject matter. There’s a lot to learn about tithing and to take your eye off the goal of studying could mean you might fall prey to the financial shenanigans if you remain unwise and uneducated about tithing.

Take Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway on a email book blog tour. Get a copy of the Blog Tour below and help me celebrate the one year anniversary of Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway by sending my book on an email Book Blog Tour with your email network of friends or however your choose. Go to the link below and get the book blog document and share with your email network of friends.Frank Chase–Kleptomananiac Book Blog Tour Small pdf

Today’s blog is about some of the tithe arguments that people make and how to answer them. The problem with most people is that they have this notion that everything a pastor says can’t be checked out and bounced aginst the Scripture. Most tithe arguments are so convincing, even the most ardent bible student would have problems trying to offer a rebuttal. The key to this whole situation is knowing what the original language actually teaches. In my upcoming book, KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway, I explain some aspects of tithing in Israel, but I did not go into other aspects of tithing from the Hebrew perspective. This post will cover some of those other tithing aspects. What some believers don’t know is that Israel tithed in three different fashions. Now it is important to know that theologians do not all agree on whether Israel tithed multiple tithes as three separate tithes or from one tithe used in three different ways. The Hebrew language is clear about what the tithe is and that’s what I’m going to share with you in this blog, along with how to debunk tithing arguments. But first, let me explain the word tithe. Tithe in Hebrew is the word ma’aser. It means tenth part, not ten percent. The definition never explains what the ten part is supposed to be. However, the context where the word tithe appears in Scripture defines the Hebrew word ma’aser as everything eatable. That’s right folks, tithing is about food, not money.

In the book of Leviticus 27:30-33 and Numbers 18:21, 24-31, we find what is termed as the Levitical Tithe, also known as the first tithe. The Hebrew name for this tithe is ma’aser rishon. If you check the Scriptures carefully, the recipients of this tithe were the Levites. Once the Levites got this tithe, they had to turn around and pay a tenth of the tenth of that tithe to the priests. The reason and the purpose the Levites received the tithe is because God willed what belonged to Him to the Levites as a substitute for land inheritance in Israel. The Levites did not get any land in the Canaan, so God gave them the tithe for their service in the temple. They could eat this tithe anywhere and it consisted of every tenth animal that passed under the rod and the crops to be paid by the other tribes in Israel.

In the book of Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 17-19 and in 14: 22-27, we find what is termed as the Festival Tithe, also known as the feast tithe or the second tithe. The Hebrew name for this tithe is ma’aser sheni. If you check the Scriptures carefully, the recipients of this tithe were the Levites, the tithe-owner, and family, and male and female servants who lived in the tithe owner’s hometown. This tithe was eaten during the festivals in Jerusalem and its purpose was to teach the fear of the Lord. The firstborn animals of the livestock were a part of this celebration. It was Once the Levites got this tithe, they had to turn around and pay a tenth of the tenth of that tithe to the priests.

In the book of Deuteronomy 14:28-29 and 26:12-14, we find what is termed as the Charity Tithe, also known as the poor tithe or the third tithe. The Hebrew name for this tithe is ma’aserani. If you check the Scriptures carefully, the recipients of this tithe were aliens, poor, orphans, widows, and the Levites. The purpose of this tithe was to share with the less fortunate and for the Lord to bless all the work of their hands. This tithe that was shared with aliens, poor, orphans, widows and the Levites was eaten within the gates of the city where the Israelites lived and was not taken to the temple. This tithe consisted only of agricultural products and no animals.

With this lengthy explanation, you can see that money was not a part of the tithing process because the tithe is not money. And yes, before you say that Isreal did not have money, the Bible references money 140 times in the Old Testament. Not only that, the Bible never mentions tithing on denarius, bekahs, drachmas, gerahs, talents, mites, shekels gold, or silver. From Matthew to Revelation money was not tithed but money was given as offerings. The Hebrew term for tithing money in Hebrew is ma’aser kesafim. However, these two words never appear together in any tithe verse of the Bible, which means money did not qualify as a tithe. For example, if money is tithed Leviticus 27:30 would read “All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree or silver, gold or shekels is the Lord’s…” Any form of money is left out of Leviticus 27:30-33. Do your research on this and you will be amazed and shocked at what the Bible really teaches.

Now let’s move on to another aspect of tithing that I covered in the video below. As I said earlier, some people are unaware about how to deal with tithe arguments that appear biblically sound. Well if you want answers to 60+ tithing arguments, click on the link. I share some of those arguments in the video below.

If giving ten percent of your paycheck is not really a biblical tithe then what should a tenth of a person’s paycheck be called since the Bible does not describe money as a tithe. Nobody in Israel tithed ten percent of anything. They tithed a ten part of the crops and every tenth animal. So what do we call a tenth of your paycheck? We call it a tax. That’s right folks, a tenth of your check is not a tithe but a tax. You can call it a ten percent tax or a temple tax or simple tax return giving to a charitable organization which includes the church based on the IRS code for charitable gifts. Ten percent of your hard earned cash is not found on the pages of the Bible. In the New Covenant under grace, we give from the heart and the amount is what we decide in our hearts. So don’t let anybody guilt you into the ten percent philosophy by saying, you should do no less than a tenth because at least Israel paid a tenth and we should do no less.” Paul never taught tithing or percentage giving in the New Testament, and you won’t find one verse where he encouraged anyone to pay ten percent to him or the co-laborers who journeyed with him on his travels. The slides below from my initial tithing study give accounts of how to debunk flowery tithe arguments.

This should be enough evidence to shut down the tithe argument, but as human nature goes, letting go of long-held beliefs that have been etched in conscience as fact can cause cognitive dissonance for those having to confront the truth. But in the end, this next slide is the cold hard truth about what the contents of the tithe is.

In these videos, I explained how Malachi 3:8-10 has been taken out of context to justify how followers of the Messiah are supposed to pay the church an obligatory ten percent until death. I would argue that if you are going to give your church money, use the scriptures of the New Covenant to teach giving. Malachi is the foundation and the backbone of all tithe teaching today. Over the 30 years of my church experience, these verses scared the daylights out of me. I remember days when I struggled to pay tithes or buy food and the guilt that followed when I chose to buy food instead. It took me years to gain enough confidence to sit down and study Malachi in context. When I did make that decision, I was shocked beyond measure at how far off the tithe of Israel had been contextually corrupted. The tithe doctrine based on the Malachi text is often presented in a context of fear, which produces fear based giving to avoid a curse from God. Sometimes tithing is presented in a dynamic fashion of overwhelming blessing that faithful tithers receive for paying tithes to the storehouse, which is supposedly the church. What I did was examine Malachi in great detail. As I searched the Scriptures, darkness became light and what I thought was true about tithing morphed into falsehood. The truth of God’s word brought me great relief. I realized that I had been fooled by slick hermeneutical and exegetical misapplication of the Scripture concerning tithing. Anytime you read Malachi, follow up by reading the book of Nehemiah.

The tithe doctrine based on the Malachi text is often presented in a context of fear. The words, will a man rob God can conjure up all kinds of unnecessary fear when taken out of context. When I first heard those words, it produced fear based giving to avoid a curse from God. But if you are afraid not to tithe, don’t be. Because the Bible says, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love and sound mind” (1 Tim. 1:17). If that’s the case, why are pastors and churches using a spirit of fear to get people to cough up money to prevent a curse from God? Sometimes tithing is presented in a dynamic fashion of overwhelming blessing that faithful tithers will receive for paying tithes to the storehouse, which is supposedly the church. When I did examine Malachi in great detail and searched the Scriptures, darkness became light and what I thought was true about tithing morphed into falsehood. The truth of God’s word brought a great relief. I realized that I had been fooled by slick hermeneutical and exegetical misapplication of the Scripture concerning tithing. Anytime you read Malachi, follow up by reading the book of Nehemiah.

In other church circles, tithing is presented in a dynamic fashion of overwhelming blessing that faithful tithers receive for paying tithes to the storehouse, which is supposedly the church. When I did examine Malachi in great detail and searched the Scriptures, darkness became light and what I thought was true about tithing morphed into falsehood. The truth of God’s word brought a great relief when I understood that appeals to fear and overwhelming blessings from Malachi where not what the Bible teaches. I realized that I had been fooled by slick hermeneutical and exegetical misapplication of the Scripture concerning tithing. Anytime you read Malachi, follow up by reading the book of Nehemiah

Anytime you read Malachi, follow up by reading the book of Nehemiah because it is important to understand the context of both book of the Bible concerning the tithe. One of the big lies of tithing is that everybody paid a tithe. But if you read the Scriptures very closely, the landowners and cattle ranchers were the tithers who paid tithes in livestock and produce. What very few people know is that everybody in Isreal did not tithe. One of many of my research books, written by Benny D. Prince addressed this matter of who did not tithe pages 38-39 and says,

Now since the tithe was only from land produce and livestock, the following people did not have to tithe in Israel. The tradesmen who made baskets for harvesting, the cobblers who made the shoes for the servants of the field, the carpenters who made wagons used for harvesting the fields, the potters who made the jugs for carrying water to the servants in the fields, women who made garments for the field workers and fishermen, since fish aren’t a land produce or crop. And by the way, the Lord Jesus who was a carpenter by trade did not tithe.

Take the information in this post and study it. Learn about tithing and you will know what is truth and what is falsehood about giving. The videos and the slides from my initial power point study should start you on a rewarding journey into the Bible. And, it is for this reason that I desire to blow up the erroneous Malachi tithe doctrine because of incidents such as a church sending a member a collection notice for not paying unpaid tithes.

What you often hear in church week after week is called a spiritualized version of Malachi and not the correct textual version. Check out the slides below.

If you do not study tithing or any biblical teaching, you will fall into what is called a TRAP where the institutional church will Takes Reasoning Away Permanently, and it does not turn out so good if you suspend your mind, will and inner voice to allow someone else to be your puppet master.

Tithes are taught as threats and blessing. The “threat” is that if you don’t tithe you “rob God.” If you don’t “pay tithe” you are not doing your part to pay the electrical bill on the church building–or you are not giving that money that the work of the church “requires.” On the other hand, if you do tithe–God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing.” In other words, if you pay tithe, God will pay you back–sometime–somewhere–the check is in the mail–(and superstition will take care of the rest. (Taken from a article titled Tithe, What Your Pastor Doesn’t Want You to Know)

One final point about Malachi is that most people who read the words will a man rob God, they often assume that God is speaking to everyone in the church today. In my book shoot this argument down and so does one of the research books I read titled Defusing the MalachiBomb by Thabani Maphosa. He writes,

When God asks “will a man rob God? he is asking an individual and not the entire nation. It wasn’t the general Israelite population which was robbing God and thereby bringing down a curse on the entire nation. It was the dishonest thieving priests like Eliashib (Nehemiah 13:4-14) that was robbing God and cauing the entire nation to come under a curse on account of their dereliction of [preistly] duties.

As I began my journey to study tithing, it was necessary for me to seek information from places as far as Israel. Several year ago, I placed a phone call to a knowledgeable person in Israel about the practices of Christian tithing and its many nuances as practiced in churches in America. I also emailed questions to Israel to seek information about the real tithe of the Bible. On page nine of my original tithing study, slide nine shows the responses I got back concerning my questions.

In one of my research books, The Tithing Dilemma, Ernest L. Martin tells what a Rabbi instructs him about tithing. The Rabbi tells Martin that none of the members of the synagogue paid one penny in tithes that the Old Testament demands. He went on to say that if synagogue members paid tithes in the manner the scripture instructs, they would be disobeying God’s law. In other words, they would be sinning against God. The Rabbi further stated that since the Bible is clear that the tithe belongs to the Levites, then it would be wrong to pay it to anyone else. Not only that, because there are no Levites or Priests serving in the temple today, it is illegal to pay any biblical tithes.

To be honest, it does not take much to figure out what tithing is as long as you have a good Bible concordance, a Bible dictionary and a Hebrew and Greek word study book and you will be on your way to discovering the truth about tithing.

The slide shows the response I got back from my inquiry. Everything in brackets is my emphasis to make sure there is no misinterpretation. If you think this is just hogwash, check out what Jews say. Jewish Tithing Concepts What you will also learn is that deductions could be made from the tithe. The Jewish concept is called Ma’aser Kesafim. I discuss this in detail in my upcoming book, Kleptomaniac: Who’s Really Robbing God.

Books By Author Frank Chase Jr

Books

KLEPTOMANIAC: Who’s Really Robbing God Anyway?

Interested in purchasing a copy of the book KLEPTOMANIAC. This book is a journey into the annuals of biblical history concerning what the Bible teaches about tithing and giving. This book will take you on a proverbial archeological quest to uncover the true meaning of biblical words that deal with money. When confusion exists about what certain words mean in the Bible, such as tithe, tithing, tenth or ten percent, this book will examine the Hebrew and Greek language to bring to life what these words actually mean in context. This book will upend the common beliefs held by believers concerning giving and tithing based on the history of the original people of the Bible and how they related to money. From the very beginning to the end of the book, everything is supported by Scripture and research. You will know from the onset why the author, Dr. Frank Chase Jr., wrote the book and learn about his personal story of what happened as a result of embracing New Covenant giving principles from the New Testament. No book asks questions like this book. And some of those questions are: does the Bible talk about tithing? Did God change the tithe at some point in biblical history? Are first fruits money? Is the tithe food or money? Is the church the storehouse? Did Jesus, Paul and the Disciples tithe? Did the early church honor a money tithe system? Are Christians really cursed for not tithing ten percent of their income? These questions will be answered based on scholarship, the land, the language and the literature of the original Biblical people. Not only does the book cover the Old Testament tithe, but it will travel through time to unveil what the New Testament teaches about giving and tithing by analyzing some of the epistles of Apostle Paul concerning his views and the instructions he gave on charitable giving. This book defines biblical terms using the Hebrew and Greek text to bring clarity and understanding of the scripture in context. KLEPTOMANIAC defines the actual orthodox biblical tithe.

Get get a signed copy from the author's website at http://www.fcpublishing.com/about_kleptomaniac. Price includes tax, shipping and handling.
If you just want a copy of the ebook, go to https://store.bookbaby.com/book/kleptomaniac